Georgia Survives with the Win over Missouri
The Georgia Bulldogs faced the Missouri Tigers in the second game of the first round of the SEC Tournament yesterday and came out on top 64-59. The 11th-seeded Dawgs continue in the tournament tomorrow against Florida, while the 14th-seeded Tigers’ season is now over.
After graduate student center Russel Tchewa won the opening tipoff for the Dawgs, both teams failed to score on their opening possessions. Freshman Blue Cain added to the scoreboard first when he sank a three-point jumper with 18:42 left.
Missouri responded and recorded its first points of the game over two minutes later when junior guard Tamar Bates hit a three-point jumper. Georgia later went on a 10-0 run, starting with 15:58 left on the clock and ending with 11:55, to go up 13-3.
Missouri scored for just the second time in the game at the 11:33 mark when Bates made a two-point jumper. The Tigers started to cut into the Bulldogs lead with two back-to-back field goals to make it a six-point game (18-24) with four minutes still in the half. Missouri continued this trend and closed the half with a minute and a half of a 7-0 run to head into the locker room down 30-31.
The Tigers won the jump ball to start the second and scored in 16 seconds with a layup and one from Bates to take their first lead of the game, 33-31. From here, the Tigers would lead for 17:57. UGA got off to a cold start but scored off another Cain three-pointer with 17:10 remaining. Missouri tried to expand its lead, which peaked at eight points with 14:07 left.
UGA, however, struggled to make a field goal as the Dawgs managed two points from two free throws until graduate student guard Noah Thomasson knocked down a three-point jumper at the 10:11 mark to make it a four-point game (41-45). The team traded baskets, but Cain made it a one-point game after nailing another three-pointer at the 6:10 mark. The Tigers rebounded by going on a 6-0 run, going up 59-52 with 3:40 left on the clock.
Twenty-three seconds later, senior Justin Hill made a field goal to give the Dawgs two. This was the start of a 12-0 run, which shut out Missouri for the rest of the game. The Bulldogs took their first lead of the half with a minute and a half remaining during this run and closed the game out on top, 64-59.
