ATHENS — A couple of desperate teams will get after it Tuesday night when Georgia plays host to Florida at Stegeman Coliseum (7 p.m., SECN).
There will be a dose of pride on the line, as well.
The Bulldogs and Gators have lost their last three games, and each team is fighting to stay out of the SEC cellar as the conference tournament awaits next week in Nashville, Tennessee. Georgia (16-13, 6-10 SEC) occupies 11th place in the 14-team league, which would mean a dreaded first round/Wednesday start in the SEC Tournament on March 8. Florida (14-15, 7-9) is only one game better and is locked in ninth place with Mississippi State, hoping at least to remain there.
More notable is the unavoidable undercurrent flowing beneath the game. The Gators were coached by Georgia’s Mike White only a year ago. They’ve already scored one victory over their former leader, 82-75 in Gainesville on Jan. 7. So, a season sweep, no doubt, would be difficult for all Bulldogs to swallow, White chief among them.
For now, though, he has more pressing concerns. White is directing a team with a fragile psyche. Lately, the Bulldogs have shown a penchant for wilting in the face of adversity. Nowhere was that more evident than in the last outing against Missouri. Georgia led the NCAA Tournament-bound Tigers by eight points in the first half and seven just 132 seconds before halftime.
The lead was gone 30 seconds into the second half of what would end as a Missouri blowout, 85-63.
“Both offensively and defensively, we didn’t respond well to adversity,” White said. “On the road, it’s typical with all teams at this level of college basketball, but it’s the first time all year we had that look in our eyes at home. Credit (Missouri), but we’ve got to be tougher than that.”
Said senior Jailyn Ingram: “We lost our edge and were unable to get it back. I think we splintered from there.”
Florida can relate. The Gators are without star forward Colin Castleton, who was lost for the remainder of the season to a broken right hand Feb. 15. They haven’t won since, though the schedule has done them no favors.
Athens will be Florida’s third road trip in the last four games, with the other two stops coming at Arkansas and Vanderbilt. The Gators have allowed 83 points a game during that stretch.
“Obviously, we’re having kind of a tough time right now,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “I appreciate our guys and the way they continue to bring a great attitude. They’re trying. They’re working hard. We’re just falling a little short right now.”
Georgia seems to be playing a player short right now, too. Senior guard Terry Roberts has not been the same since suffering a concussion on the road against Auburn on Feb. 1. The Bulldogs’ leading scorer (13.4 ppg) entered that game in the midst of a 14-game, double-figure scoring streak and averaging 16.3 points and three assists during that span. After missing 2 ½ games, Roberts has averaged seven points, is shooting 32% from the field, 15% from 3-point range and has committed 15 turnovers.
“He has struggled recently,” White said. “We’ve got to figure out a way to help him because he’s better than the way he’s played lately.”
Whatever it takes, Georgia needs to find a way to get it turned around after losing six of eight in February. Should the Bulldogs manage to take out Florida and South Carolina in Saturday’s season finale on the road – both very winnable games – they could enter the conference tournament in a much better frame of mind, not to mention a better seeding.
