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MBB: UGA defeated the Florida State 68-66 on a game-winning jump shot from senior Justin Hill
Four Bulldogs (4-3) reached double figures in scoring on the night led by Silas Demary Jr.’s career-best 15 points and six rebounds. Off the bench, Hill scored 13 points, including the go-ahead bucket, and dished out three assists. Jabri Abdur-Rahim and RJ Melendez each had 12 points, with Abdur-Rahim sinking a season-high four 3-pointers while Melendez earned his second career double-double with 11 rebounds. As a team, Georgia held Florida State (4-2) to 17 points fewer than its season average of 83.2 per game while also outscoring the Seminoles in bench points by a 33-15 margin.
The first half was defined by a stout defensive effort from both teams with Georgia trailing 25-21 heading into the locker room. The Bulldogs prevented the Seminoles from converting a layup in the opening frame, going 0-for-5 at the rim and shooting just 26.5 percent from the field. To open the second half, Demary Jr. scored five straight for Georgia and cut the lead to one. Florida State would go on to take a 17-point lead with just over seven and a half minutes remaining, but the Bulldogs managed to respond with a run of its own.
With just under two and a half minutes to go, Georgia scored 14 straight points and took its first lead since the start of the game. After getting fouled on a putback from an offensive rebound, Frank Anslem-Ibe knocked down both free throws to put the team up one with just under a minute remaining. With the game tied and five seconds remaining, Hill created separation off a crossover on Cam’Ron Fletcher and had just enough space to sink the final bucket of the game, giving Georgia the win. The Bulldogs ended the game making six of its final eight shots.
Georgia will return to Stegeman Coliseum for a six-game homestand starting with Mercer on Dec. 1 set for a 7 p.m. ET tipoff. The game, which will be streamed by the SEC Network+, will be the 79th meeting between the programs and the first time playing since 2014. The Bulldogs hold a 55-23 advantage in the series.
Five Fast Facts
• Silas Demary Jr. set a new career-high in scoring with 15 points, knocking down a personal-best six free throws and adding six rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal.
• Georgia gave up just 25 points in the first half, marking the least amount of points the Bulldogs have allowed in a half this season.
• The Bulldogs had a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio against Florida State, moving the team to 4-0 when having at least an even assist-to-turnover ratio or better.
• The Bulldogs outscored the Seminoles in bench points by a 33-15 margin. Georgia has now outscored opponents in bench points in all but one game this season.
• Jabri Abdur-Rahim knocked down a season-best four 3-pointers, the fifth time in his career making at least four shots from beyond the arc.
Key Quote
Head Coach Mike White: “That [win] is the epitome of a major response. We had a 24-5 run to finish it out against a program that wins games like that down the stretch. Florida State has won 14 consecutive overtime games. The culture here is to win those tight, close ones. We have a lot of respect for the success of Florida State’s program. For us to come in here and get that one the way that we did speaks volumes about the resiliency, mental toughness, the resolve, the connectivity of a team with nine new players. It was a huge win for us.”
Box Score
SB: Tony Baldwin announced the complete schedule for the 2024 season
The 55-game schedule opens Feb. 9 when the Bulldogs host the 17th Annual Red & Black Showcase at Jack Turner Softball Stadium.
Georgia’s 2024 slate features 16 NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago including five that advanced to Oklahoma City as well as 10 teams that finished the season in the Top 25.
The Bulldogs will host Murray State, South Dakota, and Purdue on opening weekend in the Red & Black Showcase Feb. 9-11. Georgia’s other non-conference home tournaments include the 21st Annual Georgia Classic (Feb. 23-25) featuring Virginia Tech, Radford, and Dartmouth, and the 15th Annual Bulldog Classic (March 8-10) when Georgia hosts Miami (Ohio), Jacksonville State, and Furman.
Georgia will take part in the 2024 Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational Presented by EvoShield in Clearwater, Florida Feb. 15-17. The Bulldogs will take on top competition including Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Florida State, and Minnesota.
The month of March will begin when Georgia travels to Palo Alto, California to play in the Stanford Invitational to take on Cal, Boise State, and host Stanford.
Home non-conference midweek matchups include Clemson on Feb. 28, Georgia Tech on March 13, Georgia Southern on March 20, Mercer on April 3, Georgia State on April 10, and USC Upstate on April 17. The Bulldogs will travel to Kennesaw State on March 27.
The Bulldogs will open SEC play March 15-17 when the Alabama Crimson Tide come to Jack Turner Stadium. Georgia’s other home conference series include Arkansas (March 29-31), Missouri (April 19-21), and Florida (April 26-28).
Georgia will hit the road for series at Ole Miss (March 22-24), Tennessee (April 5-7), Kentucky (April 12-14), and Mississippi State (May 3-5).
The regular-season conference schedule includes eight three-game series for each team for a total of 24 games. The schedule is subject to change, including the move of some conference series to conclude on Mondays. Conference game times and television assignments will be announced at a later date.
The 2024 SEC Tournament is scheduled for May 7-11 at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Alabama.
The NCAA Tournament will begin the weekend of May 17. Regional and Super Regionals will be held on campus sites. The Women’s College World Series will begin May 30 in Oklahoma City.
The 2024 season will be the third under the direction of head coach Tony Baldwin. Georgia concluded the 2023 season 41-15 and finished second in the SEC with a 16-7 record. The Bulldogs fell to Florida State in the Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament.
Photos: Georgia vs. Georgia Tech 2023
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