Georgia picked a good time to play one of its better games of the season.
The Bulldogs broke a three-game losing streak against a very good LSU team at Stegeman Coliseum on Thursday night. Nemanja Djurisic led four Georgia scorers in double figures with 17 points, and the Bulldogs rolled to a 91-78 victory.
Charles Mann scored 16, Marcus Thornton 15 and Brandon Morris 11 as Georgia shot as season-best 60 percent from field and 56 percent from 3-point range. Thornton added 10 rebounds as the Bulldogs out-rebounded the big-bodied Tigers 37-30.
LSU’s Johnny O’Bryant III, who ranked 10th in the SEC with a 15.8 scoring average, scored only nine points and fouled out in the game’s final minute. The Tigers were led by Jordan Mickey and Andre Stringer with 19 points each.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Bulldogs (11-10, 5-4 SEC) who play host to Texas A&M on Saturday. LSU falls to 14-7 overall and 5-4 in league play.
LSU fought back back from a 13-point halftime deficit to get within five points just four minutes into the second half. During that same span, Fox was assessed a technical for yelling at the referees. He was unhappy over a non-call when he thought Thornton was fouled driving to the basket.
The Tigers got only one point out of the deal, but 41 seconds later they had closed to 47-42 on Jarrell Martin’s driving dunk. LSU would whittle it to 48-45 on a Martin 3-pointer a half-minute later.
But the Bulldogs bowed up and stopped the run there with aggressive play on both ends of the floor. LSU’s O’Bryant drew his fourth foul at the 14:24 mark on a Mann drive and Georgia continually attacked the rim thereafter. The Bulldogs either made a layup or shot free throws, or both, on their next eight possessions. On the other two were a turnover and a 3-pointer by Djurisic. Thornton’s driving lay-in at the 11:09 mark got the Bulldogs lead back to 10, 61-51, with 11:09 to play.
The Bulldogs’ aggressive mentality nearly cost Mann. With 9:52 to play, he hit the floor hard after Mickey blocked his shot. He lay on the floor being attended by trainers before leaving the game with hurt ribs on his right side.
In Mann’s absence, backup J.J. Frazier stepped up big. The 5-foot-8 freshman made a pair of 3-pointers over the next 1:39 and Georgia actually increased its lead to 11. Mann returned with 6:40 to play and the Bulldogs were still ahead 75-65.
The Bulldogs staved off several LSU runs from there.
Georgia played its best basketball of the season in the first half, particularly on offense. The Bulldogs forged a healthy 43-30 halftime lead on the strength of 56 percent shooting. Most of the good work was going through the hands of Mann. The sophomore point guard had 10 points — had on free throws from being fouled on penetration — but also had four assists. Djurisic added nine points.
Meanwhile, the only thing keeping LSU close was its 3-point shooting. Half of its first-half scoring came on five 3-pointers.
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