MBB: Braelen Bridges Named SEC Player of the Week
Georgia’s Braelen Bridges was selected as the SEC Player of the Week by the league office in Birmingham, Ala., on Monday, a day after his 18-point performance in the Bulldogs’ 77-62 win over Notre Dame.
Bridges, a 6-11, 245-pound center from Atlanta, was a perfect 9-of-9 from the field against the Fighting Irish and scored 18 points in 18 minutes of playing time. The Union Grove High School alum scored a point per minute played in each half, putting up eight points in eight MP in the first half and 10 points in 10 minutes of action in the second stanza.
Bridges’ performance upped his season scoring average more than a full point per game, from 6.2 to 7.3 ppg. Bridges, who led the SEC and ranked No. 7 nationally in field goal percentage last season after converting on 63.4 percent of his shots from the floor, also improved field goal percentage this season from 59.2 to 65.5.
Bridges came one field goal shy of qualifying for the Bulldogs’ single-game record for field goal percentage.
Georgia topped the Irish in a Holiday Hoopsgiving Arena at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, the Bulldogs’ first non-conference win over a Power-5 opponent in more than three years. Georgia’s last such victory was an 82-78 win over Georgia Tech on Nov. 20, 2019.
Bridges is the Bulldogs’ first SEC Player of the Week honoree since Toumani Camara was recognized on Dec. 21, 2020. Overall, he is the 29th Georgia player to earn SEC Player of the Week accolades since the award’s inception in 1985. Those Bulldogs have combined to secure 40 SEC Player of the Week certificates.
Georgia improved to 8-3 with Sunday’s victory over Notre Dame, two more wins than the Bulldogs posted during the entire 2021-22 season. Georgia will return to action on Wednesday when the Bulldogs host Chattanooga in a midweek matinee matchup that will tip at 3:00 p.m. at Stegeman Coliseum. Tickets for the game are available via georgiadogs.com at https://gado.gs/mbbtix.
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