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MBB: Dawgs break losing streak at Vandy

 Two strong offensive performances from Noah Thomasson and Jabri Abdur-Rahim combined with an all-around team performance through 40 minutes led the way as the Georgia men’s basketball team defeated Vanderbilt, 76-64, on the road at the Memorial Gymnasium on Wednesday.

The win snaps the Bulldogs six-game losing streak as well as a four-game losing skid against the Commodores, picking up a road win at the Memorial Gymnasium for the first time since 2020. Thomasson led the scoring efforts for the Bulldogs with 17 points, all coming in the first half powered by five 3-pointers, marking back-to-back games with five or more shots made from behind the arc. Abdur-Rahim followed up with 13 points paired with seven rebounds while Russel Tchewa reached double figure rebounding with 10 boards along with six points and three assists.

Georgia jumped out to a quick 10-2 advantage highlighted by two Thomasson 3-pointers as it opening 4-for-4 from the field. The Bulldogs grew the lead to double digits after finding rhythm from behind the arc, totaling eight 3-pointers in the first half. Thomasson had the hot hand, knocking down five 3-pointers as Georgia held Vanderbilt without a field goal in the last 3:20 of the half to lead 44-28 heading into the locker room. The Bulldogs carried over momentum into the second half, extending a strong shooting night to an 18-point lead. Despite a quick 7-0 run by Vanderbilt to cut the deficit to 51-40, Georgia responded with a 12-0 run to lead 63-40 with just over 10 minutes left to play. The Commodores continued to claw back, but the Bulldogs’ 94-foot game late in the second half was too much as they never trailed on the night en route to securing the road win.

Georgia’s next tilt will see it return to Athens for a big test as it hosts No. 14 Auburn on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. ET at the Stegeman Coliseum. The game will be broadcasted on the SEC Network. The Bulldogs trail the all-time series against the Tigers 96-100, as both programs split the home-and-away last season with Georgia coming out on top 76-64 at the Stegeman Coliseum.

Five Fast Facts

• Noah Thomasson has made five or more 3-pointers in back-to-back games and in three of his last four outings.

• Russel Tchewa rebounded in doubles figures (10) for the fourth time this season and 19^th time in his career.

• Jabri Abdur-Rahim has recorded at least one block in three-consecutive games for the first time this season.

• Georgia outrebounded Vanderbilt 39-26 on the night.

• Georgia made 10 or more 3-pointers in a game for the 10^th time this season.

Box Score

WBB: Georgia (11-14, 2-10 SEC) at Ole Miss (18-7, 8-4 SEC) tonight in Oxford

Thursday, Feb. 22 || 7:30 p.m. ET ||  The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss  || SECN+

TV: ABC (Jake Hromada and Lindsay King)

Listen: Jeff Dantzler (GeorgiaDogs.com, 960 AM The Ref or 103.7 FM)

Opening Tip

» Georgia is back on the road to face the Ole Miss Rebels at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT this Thursday in Oxford. The matchup is slated to air on SEC Network +. 

» The Lady Bulldogs are coming off a back-and-forth battle with No. 1 South Carolina. Georgia led, 35-28, at halftime, marking the Gamecocks’ largest halftime deficit this season.  

» Fifth-year senior forward Javyn Nicholson has established herself as one of the top post players in the SEC. She is tied for second in the conference with 14 double-doubles and is coming off a 27-point, 12-rebound effort against South Carolina. The 27 points are the third-most an SEC opponent has scored against the Gamecocks this season. 

» Georgia has won six of the last eight meetings against Ole Miss, but has lost two-straight in the series. The Lady Bulldogs own a 38-15 all-time record against Ole Miss dating back to 1980. 

» Fifth-year senior guard Taniyah Thompson has seen increased minutes since the season-ending injury to Zoesha Smith. Thompson was averaging 12.1 minutes per game before the injury and has increased that to 26.7 since the injury. 

» Junior guard De’Mauri Flournoy has scored in double figures in seven of the last eight games. 

» Redshirt-freshman Savannah Henderson is coming off her best game of the year. She hit 3-of-4 from 3-point range and scored a career-high nine points against the No. 1 Gamecocks. 

» Georgia is in its second season under the leadership of Coach ABE. ABE’s successful first year included a NCAA tournament appearance, 22 wins, and a fifth-place finish in the final SEC standings. 

» The Lady Bulldogs were the only SEC squad to not have a single player enter the transfer portal this past offseason. 

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