Welcome to the Bulldawg Illustrated Hoops Report: Georgia versus Mississippi State. It’s like getting back in the game after several bad relationships. And that’s what the Dawgs did on Saturday in Knoxville with a one-point win over the Volunteers.

The Dawgs may be clinging by a thread but we’re saying there’s a chance. If we close out the year at 5-1, we have a better than 50/50 chance to make the Big Dance. That means two upsets and no inexplicable losses. The Hoop Dawgs have to win every game they’re supposed to and that starts against Mississippi State at home tonight at 9 p.m. Before we talk about the Bizzaro Bulldawgs, let’s look at the game on Saturday.

The Dawgs played another good road game this past Saturday; however, it felt like the same script we have read before. Dawgs play good, players foul out on questionable calls, and we make a ton of mental mistakes to give the game away. It played out that way on Saturday except Georgia didn’t give the game away. J.J. Frazier refused to lose and Tyree Crump had a small coming out party. Yante Maten only had seven points and fouled out late on a questionable call.

When a game is on the line with a few minutes to go, a ref shouldn’t foul out one of the best players in the SEC on a ticky-tack call. It needs to be definitive. I guarantee the Monk kid from Kentucky would’ve been bounced on that call. Now, I am a huge UGA fan. I am biased. However, there’s no question the refs gave Florida a win in Gainesville and pulled a coup of some sort on us in College Station. I have to admit that Georgia did play terribly down the stretch in both games, but why do the refs have to intervene? Or not in the case of A&M? And they tried it again in Knoxville, but J.J. said no way, dude. He scored 29 points on 19 shots. Let’s hope he stays hot.

Now it’s time for Mississippi State to roll into town. They’re 5-7 in the SEC this season as well and definitely, could beat Georgia. However, it seems we’re finally fighting for something. The team played inspired basketball on Saturday, down by 14 at one point. Coming off a huge win like that and getting in front of the home crowd, we should be able to keep the momentum going. We’re better than Mississippi State in most all aspects of the game, but the Dawgs are also not good enough to look past anyone. We’ve blown a number of opportunities this year. Yet, we’re still alive. We need a raucous crowd in Athens on tonight. This is a must win and we need you. No more bad relationships. Just spread love in The Steg for awhile. Go Dawgs!