ATHENS — Any win over SEC-powerhouse Kentucky can be noteworthy, and Georgia’s 75-68 victory over the Wildcats on Saturday checked several boxes for the Bulldogs.
First, the win snapped a three-game losing streak and a stretch of six losses in seven games that began at Kentucky on Jan. 17.
Second, the win was a product of the Bulldogs (15-10, 5-7 SEC) displaying toughness down the stretch, seizing control in the final minutes after losing a 10-point halftime lead.
Third, the win capped an electric afternoon inside a sold-out Stegeman Coliseum, which included a halftime ceremony recognizing the 40th anniversary of the 1983 Final Four team.
“This is a big win for us, really cool day for Georgia basketball all the way around,” Bulldogs coach Mike White said.
Georgia led 42-32 at halftime, but the lead quickly evaporated, and the Bulldogs found themselves trailing with less than eight minutes remaining. It was eerily similar to the 85-71 loss Jan. 17 at Kentucky (16-9, 7-5) in which Georgia led by eight at intermission.
“The players talked without the coaches and said we can’t let this happen again,” Bulldogs center Braelen Bridges said. “We’ve got to stick with the game plan, stay focused and keep playing hard.”
Bridges made several key plays down the stretch, scoring six points in the final seven minutes while working on defense against Kentucky star Oscar Tshiebwe. Tshiebwe had a strong game, with 20 points and 14 rebounds, but nothing like the monstrous 37-point, 24-rebound effort against the Bulldogs last month.
“I thought he played really hard and took advantage of the challenge (of defending Tshiebwe),” White said of Bridges. “If we don’t step up at the 5 (center position) today, we’ve got no chance.”
Several Bulldogs stepped up with key plays in the final minutes of the back-and-forth battle:
-Jabri Abdur-Rahim drilled a 3-pointer from the left corner with 2:52 remaining to thwart a Wildcats rally.
-Terry Roberts had a fast-break layup – following a steal on the opposite end – and added a free throw in the final 35 seconds.
-Justin Hill made four free throws in the final two minutes and was successful as the point guard avoiding turnovers in the face of Kentucky’s trapping defense.
-Kario Oquendo scored 17 of his team-high 21 points in the first half, but added a pair of free throws down the stretch to fight off another short Wildcats rally.
“This is definitely a big win for us; it’s my first time beating them,” Oquendo said. “It was good to have the crowd behind us. When the crowd got into at their place, I think we got a little flustered. But we had the crowd on our side this time.”
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