Vols beat Dogs at the buzzer

By Tim Tucker

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATHENS -- A pregame dedication ceremony for the new-look Stegeman Coliseum and a second consecutive home sellout crowd had underscored the good things happening in Georgia’s basketball program.

But the good vibes were interrupted on Tuesday night’s final play as a buzzer-beating put-back by Tennessee’s Brian Williams broke a 57-57 tie and handed Georgia a bitter 59-57 defeat. Williams threw in the game-winner after out-muscling the Bulldogs' Chris Barnes for a rebound of a missed shot from the corner by the Vols' Tobias Harris.

The officials checked the replay, confirming that Williams' improbable basket would count and stunning the crowd of 10,523.

"It was a heart-breaking moment," the 6-foot-8 Barnes said. "I feel like I let the team down at that moment."

For Williams, of course, the emotions were the opposite.

"I'm like Kobe," the 6-foot-10 Tennessee center said. "Last shot. Fadeaway. "SportsCenter" Top 10. That's the biggest shot I've ever made ... with no time left. It's the greatest feeling ever. I'm just glad it counted."

Asked if he thought Williams should have been called for an over-the-back foul on the play, Barnes was non-committal, but said "you're not gonna get that type of call" in such a situation. To the same question, Georgia coach Mark Fox paused at length, then said only: "I’ll have to watch the tape. Sorry."

"It was a great play on Brian Williams' part," Georgia's Trey Thompkins said. "He grabbed the rebound and put it back in. ... There's not much else to say about that."

Georgia (13-4, 2-2 SEC) suffered its first home loss of the season. Tennessee won the game without coach Bruce Pearl, who stayed in Knoxville, serving an eight-game SEC suspension, to improve its record to 12-6 (2-2 SEC).

The buzzer-beating finish was indicative of a game that saw the score tied nine times and the lead change hands 11 times.

"That was a difficult loss," Fox said. "Tennessee made more plays than we did. They made one more, for sure."

Georgia had several leads of as many as seven points in the first half, but trailed 35-33 at intermission. The game remained tense and tight throughout the second half. It was 57-57 when Tennessee called timeout with 27.8 seconds to play.

"We knew they were going to take the last shot," Fox said. "As we have been taught to do, you defend, force a miss and secure the rebound. We did everything, including blocking out. We just didn't secure the rebound."

Gerald Robinson and Travis Leslie scored 14 points apiece for Georgia, while Thompkins had 13. Tobias Harris and Scotty Hopson led Tennessee with 15 apiece.

Several hours before the game, a dedication ceremony was held for the newly renovated Stegeman Coliseum. A $13 million face-lift, completed last month, gave the 47-year-old building an expanded concourse, a modern glass façade, dramatic graphics and additional restrooms and concessions areas.

Andy Landers, in his 32nd season as Georgia’s women’s basketball coach, was among the speakers at the ceremony, which drew university officials, athletic board members and fans. Landers said the renovation “has absolutely blown me away.”

“We’ve performed cosmetic surgery on essentially a 50-year-old building and made it look ultra-modern,” Landers said.

Former Georgia basketball player Donald Hartry also marveled at the transformation.

“I was here in the 1980s, and we had a stable in the back,” Hartry said. “They’d have rodeos in here, and … the big flies were hanging around at practice.

“The improvement is unbelievable,” he added.

The new old place was rocking for much of Tuesday night. And then it fell into stunned silence.