ATHENS—The Georgia Bulldogs men’s basketball team held off pesky Gardner-Webb for 58-49 victory today at Stegeman Coliseum.
Since losing to Davidson, Temple and Nebraska at the Charleston Classic Georgia (5-4) has won four straight games against lesser competition. Gardner-Webb (6-7) of the Big South Conference was coming off an 85-66 defeat at No. 7 Duke on Monday.
Juwan Paker scored 12 points for the Bulldogs and Marcus Thornton added 11 points and seven rebounds.
Charles Mann, Georgia’s leader in scoring and assists, returned to the lineup after missing the game against Lipscomb last week with a bruised knee. Mann finished with seven points, six rebounds two assists and six turnovers in 32 minutes.
With their offense stalled amid a season-high 19 turnovers, the Bulldogs had to win with defense and rebounding. Georgia held Gardner-Webb to 32 percent shooting from the field and posted a 46-27 advantage in rebounds.
Georgia led 21-12 at halftime but Gardner-Webb quickly cut the lead to 24-22. The Bulldogs pushed the lead to 34-24 with Thornton scoring six points during the 10-2 run on a layup, tip-in and a dunk.
Gardner-Webb stuck around, though. Consecutive 3-pointers by Tyler Strange and Naji Hibbert’s 3-point play cut Georgia’s lead to 38-37 with 6:32 to play.
With a chance for its first lead since 4-2, Gardner-Webb missed two close-range shots and Georgia regained control with a quick 7-0 run. Mann scored on a 3-point play then made two free throws after he was fouled on a breakaway, and Juwan Parker added another three-point play for a 45-37 Georgia lead.
Gardner-Webb closed to within 45-39 on Hibbert’s score but that’s as close as the Runnin’ Bulldogs could get in the final three minutes.
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