Freshman Anthony “Ant Man” Edwards led Georgia with 18 points in a 93-81 win over Valdosta State in an exhibition game Friday night in Athens.
Edwards was 7-of-11 from the field in his first game in a Bulldogs uniform.
Georgia's starting lineup featured three newcomers: freshmen Edwards and Toumani Camara, and graduate transfer Donnell Gresham Jr.
Three other Bulldogs scored in double figures. Junior Rayshaun Hammonds had 16 points, senior Tyree Crump scored 15 and freshman Sahvir Wheeler added 10.
"I thought Sahvir Wheeler really came in and changed the dynamic of the game," Georgia coach Tom Crean said. "I started five guys, but I tried to tell the team that we don't have a starting lineup. If you can get a team that has seven, eight, upwards of nine starters, that means you have that many potential finishers. The things that we have not spent a lot of time on are the areas we need to improve. There is a long list of things we need to get better at but, bottom line, they kept playing hard, had a lot of deflections and there is a ton of room for improvement."
After a slow start, a three from Edwards and two free throws from Crump got the Bulldogs within two of the Blazers. Crump tied the game at 23 with 8:54 to play in the first half. Edwards gave Georgia its first lead since 3-2 at 26-25 with a shot from behind the arc with eight minutes remaining in the half.
Credit: Anthony Walsh
Credit: Anthony Walsh
The Bulldogs ended the half on a 4-of-5 streak from the field and forced four Valdosta turnovers to maintain their 42-37 lead going into the locker room.
Georgia came out strong on both sides of the ball in the second half, going on an 8-0 run to gain its first double-digit lead of the game. In the first seven minutes of play, the Bulldogs were 6-of-8 shooting while holding the Blazers to 2-of-11.
Georgia will travel to Charlotte next Friday for an exhibition game against the 49ers. The Bulldogs host Western Carolina in the season opener on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m.
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