Georgia men’s basketball gets rebound win over South Carolina 71-60
Coming off a 30-point loss to Florida on Saturday, the Georgia basketball team desperately needed a win. After securing a top-25 ranking for the first time since 2011, The Bulldogs dropped four straight conference games, and moved to 14-6 on the season — with five losses coming in SEC play.
When the Gamecocks rolled into Athens, though, things looked a little different. Georgia got out to its hottest start in quite some time and never looked back, taking down South Carolina 71-60 in the two teams’ 123rd all-time meeting.
Freshman forward Asa Newell once again looked every bit like the NBA lottery pick he is projected to be, bringing in his fifth double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds, tacking on three blocks as well.
“I play with a lot of energy and a lot of fire. That was the main message today, just play with fire,” Newell said. “Our hunger needed to be up, and it was a must-win at home against a really strong South Carolina team. We just all played our hearts out. We played very hard.”
Silas Demary Jr. and Dakota Leffew got the Georgia offense going early with back-to-back 3-pointers while the Bulldogs’ defense stifled South Carolina on all ends, accounting for six turnovers in the game’s opening six minutes. Newell furthered the Georgia run with two tough finishes in the paint that saw head coach Mike White’s group jump out to an early 11-point lead.
South Carolina’s offense eventually found its footing, bringing the gap to within two points before Demary drilled another 3-pointer. Dylan James, after missing his first attempt wide left, tacked on one of his own before slamming down a dunk that sent Stegeman Coliseum into an uproar. Georgia pulled away in the first half, finishing off a 17-5 run that saw it go into halftime up 35-21.
“We made some good decisions, simple plays, pitch ahead, and shot it with confidence. That’s what you’ve got to do in this league,” White said about the team’s shooting performance. “Make or miss. Miss three in a row. Shoot it again. We want an ‘A’ shot. If you’ve got an ‘A’ shot, you can’t worry about whether it’s going to go in or not. SEC shooters just let it fly.”
