After coming off an impressive second-half performance against Western Carolina, Georgia struggled at times Tuesday night against The Citadel.
It was a back-and-forth game for most of the contest, and the visiting Bulldogs were able to remain close with their three-point shooting ability. But Georgia was able to take over the game later in the second half with their fast-paced, up-tempo style of offense en route to a 95-86 victory.
Head coach Tom Crean was glad that his team got the victory, but addressed Georgia’s inconsistencies in his postgame interview.
“Their press made us a little stagnant, and we let that press slow us down,” Crean said. “That slowed us down, but also the number one issue we have right now is figuring out how to get rebounds.”
Georgia was only out-rebounded by seven, but without a true “big man” it was hard to watch at times. This season, Georgia plays a much more transitional offense, and at some points tonight, they were playing three or four guards. With that many guards on the floor, it was hard for the Bulldogs to crash the boards against The Citadel’s big men.
Rayshaun Hammonds led Georgia with nine rebounds, followed by Donnell Gresham Jr and Anthony Edwards with five. Edwards led the Bulldogs with 29 points, and Gresham had 13.
During the first half, Edwards and sophomore Amanze Ngumezi both led the way with 10 points. Edwards had seven points in the final 3:41 of the half to help Georgia extend their first-half lead. In the first eight minutes to start the second half, Edwards added another eleven points to bring his total to 21 at that point.
Midway through the second half, The Citadel went on an 8-0 run that cut Georgia’s lead to one. In response, Crean subbed in freshman Sahvir Wheeler who went to work. Wheeler hit two free throws, and after an Edwards layup, he hit another jumper to extend Georgia’s lead by seven. With 6:10 to go, The Citadel again cut into the Bulldogs’ lead to within 4, but senior Tyree Crump had a three-point play, and Georgia never looked back. Edwards added
After the game, Edwards said there’s always room for improvement on his part, but praised his teammates for coming in and helping seal the victory.
“I am thankful for my teammates, and tonight in the second half they hit some key shots,” said Edwards. “Sahvir, Donnell, and Tyree all played a strong half, and that’s all you can ask for.”
Georgia returns to action this Friday, November 15th, for another home game at the Stegeman Coliseum, hosting the Delaware State Hornets for a 7 p.m. ET tipoff.