Stegmania Returns

UGA Sports Communications

Following a two year hiatus due to Covid-19, Stegmania is back. Georgia Basketball will host its third-annual Stegmania presented by Bojangles' on Friday, October 7th, at 7:00 p.m. in Stegeman Coliseum, with both teams taking part.

Gates to Stegeman Coliseum will open at 6:00 p.m. The first 2,000 UGA students in attendance will receive both a commemorative Stegmania t-shirt and food. The first 2,000 fans in attendance also will receive a Stegmania t-shirt. Interactive activities for students, families and fans will be set up on the Stegeman concourses.

“Events like Stegmania are part of the college experience for our guys, and they’re part of the college experience for our students as well” head coach Mike White said. “ We’re excited that we’re able to host Stegmania again and are looking forward to introducing this year’s version of the Dawgs to our students and fans.”

“We are excited to meet the fans and for the fans to meet our team at Stegmania,” head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson said. “Our season is just around the corner, and it’s a great way for everyone to get to know the new faces on our roster. This will be a special night, and I look forward to seeing everyone there on October 7th.”

The program will begin at 7:00 with introductions of both teams and also will include a slam dunk event for the Dawgs and a 3-point shooting contest for the Lady Dawgs. There will also be a third contest that will feature three-person teams of a Dawg, Lady Dawg and selected UGA student in a lay-up, free throw and 3-point race.

Lady Dawgs Advance

UGA Sports Communications

Behind 19 points from Jenna Staiti and a career-high 15 from freshman Jillian Hollingshead, the sixth-seeded University of Georgia Lady Dawgs basketball team (21-9, 9-7 SEC) defeated the No. 11 seed Dayton Flyers, (26-6, 14-1 A10) at Hilton Coliseum Friday night.

Georgia advances to play either No. 3 seed Iowa State or No. 14 seed UT Arlington on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Game time will be announced later.

Hollingshead’s night marks the most points for a freshman in the NCAA Tournament since 2013, when Shacobia Barbee notched 20 against Iowa State.

“Dayton is a really good team,” said coach Joni Taylor. “They do a really good job of stretching you. They’re really good and they’ve been really good for a long time. In terms of what we looked like, I thought we did a really good job of locking in and trying to take away what they do well. They have three dynamic guards; we did a good job of frustrating them and making it tough. I thought we did a really good job of being aggressive when we didn’t make shots and winning offensive rebounds, giving ourselves second chance opportunities and to get to the free throw line. That’s something we talked about a lot.”

Despite struggling to find the rim early, the Dawgs were down by just two at the first media timeout. Staiti found the basket off a Flyer turnover followed by Que Morrison increasing Georgia’s lead, 15-11, with a fast break layup. The Flyers’ offense persisted, but the Lady Dawgs locked down and kept the lead, 19-17 in the first quarter.

An 8-2 run highlighted the second quarter for Georgia. Hollingshead put away three shots alongside a Morrison layup. The Lady Dawgs went on to score 12 more points and collected 14 total boards to finish the half up by 10, 41-31. Hollingshead led the offensive drive for the Lady Dawgs, tallying 10 points in the second quarter alone.

Rallying after a two-and-a-half minute scoring drought, Staiti pulled Georgia back with a 6-0 run before the first media timeout. The Lady Dawgs battled to keep their advantage over Dayton, matching their two three-pointers with a 6-0 run from Morrison, Staiti, and Hollingshead. A fastbreak layup from Chloe Chapman kept the Lady Dawgs ahead, 56-46 heading into the fourth quarter.

Georgia jumped to a quick 15-point lead with contributions from Hollingshead, Morrison and Malury Bates. After drawing a Dayton foul, the Lady Dawgs finished the final quarter scoring seven more points. A free throw from Chapman sealed the 70-54 win

The Lady Dawgs will face either No. 3 Iowa State or No. 14 UT Arlington on Sunday, March 20th.

Crean Fired

UGA Sports Communications

The University of Georgia has decided to change the leadership of its men’s basketball program, and Tom Crean will not return for his fifth season as the Dawgs’ head coach.

“I would like to sincerely thank Coach Crean and his family for their commitment to Georgia Basketball,” said Josh Brooks, J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics. “Tom Crean demonstrated unquestionable effort and enthusiasm in what he has attempted to accomplish at Georgia. That said, our expectation is to compete for post-season success in all 21 sports. We believe a leadership change in men’s basketball is needed to achieve our goals.”

This season, Georgia finished 6-26 overall and 1-17 in the SEC. Crean compiled a 47-75 record and was 15-57 in SEC play during his four seasons.

The Dawgs broke their all-time total attendance record in each of Crean’s first two years, and during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, Georgia recorded two of its top-5 scoring averages during the 2000s. Anchored by Anthony Edwards, Crean signed six top-100 prospects during his first full recruiting cycle. Edwards left after earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors to become the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

A national search for Georgia’s next head men’s basketball coach will begin immediately.

Lady Dawgs Defeat Vandy

UGA Sports Communications

A dominant second half performance at home saw the No. 14-ranked Lady Dawgs top the Vanderbilt Commodores Thursday night at Stegeman Coliseum, 71-56.

Jenna Staiti led all scorers tonight with 16 while Javyn Nicholson notched her season high in rebounds with nine. With the win, Georgia improves to 17-4 overall and 6-3 in the SEC. Vanderbilt falls to 12-11, 3-6.

“Vanderbilt is a good team that is getting better every time they play,” shared coach Joni Taylor. “We knew it was going to be tough tonight. We prepared for it to be tough, and we knew it was going to be a grind it out game where hopefully we could create separation in the third and fourth quarter – and that’s what we did.”

The Lady Dawgs responded to an early Commodore lead as Sarah Ashlee Barker laid in for two. Mikayla Coombs connected with Staiti to give the graduate center her first of six points in the quarter. Georgia trailed 16-13 at the end of the first.

Morrison tied the ball game for the Lady Dawgs with a three-point jumper to open second quarter scoring. Midway through the second, Malury Bates finished a bucket to give Georgia their first lead of the game. Bates contributed two blocks on the following possessions to help preserve the Georgia lead. The Lady Dawgs led 26-23 at halftime.

After Morrison knocked down a pair of free throws to open the third quarter, Staiti kept pace adding two more to her tally with a jumper. Javyn Nicholson showed her strength late on with a tough lay-up to take a foul. The Lady Dawgs jumped out to a 47-41 lead going into the fourth.

A 10-0 run during the fourth quarter secured the win for the Georgia along with Nicholson’s six points in the final quarter.

Next up, the Lady Dawgs host SEC rival Florida at 1 p.m. on Sunday, February 6th at Stegeman Coliseum. Coverage will be on SEC Network.

Lady Dawgs Game Cancelled

UGA Sports Communications

The Lady Dawgs’ basketball game against Radford, which was scheduled for this Saturday, December 12th at noon ET, has been canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test within the Radford program.

There are no plans at this time to have a replacement game. The decision to cancel the contest was made following consultation with the UGA Athletic Association medical personnel.

The Lady Dawgs are currently 5-0 with wins against Oklahoma and Jacksonville State earlier this week. Georgia hosts Georgia State at 7 p.m. ET, next Thursday, December 17th.

Basketball Post Game Quotes

Coach Tom Crean

Opening Statement...

“We were fortunate. We really were because we had guys that showed up like they were 3-0, rather than trying to get on a one-game winning streak. It’s a whole different mindset. When you walk in and you’re 3-0 and you think you can just arrive and now I’m going to play the way I want to play, well you don’t play very well. We had some guys that didn’t play very well tonight. But, we had some that played outstanding, led by Toumani Camara. He came out in the attack, was a plus-11 in the game—he had 15 points and 17 rebounds and 16 deflections. He came in with the right mindset. Again, it’s a process, and it’s important for our fans to understand this too. Everybody’s in a different role on this team right now. There’s no lottery pick sitting in that room right now that’s going to 1-2-or-3 in the draft. That’s not where we’re at. So, where we have to be as a collective mindset as a group that’s together in everything they do. And tonight, our spirit defensively was good. Our attitude and determination on the glass was good, but we did not move without the ball and move the ball the way we needed to, and we had way too many sad looks when we weren’t making shots. We’ve just got to grow through it because we’re not good enough to play that way. We’re fortunate with the win, and I think it’s a great lesson of what happens. We won the game, but to score only 63 points is a view of our lack of activity.”

“Hopefully, it’s a learning lesson. We’re not built to not be really good together. We have to be good together, and when we are, then we’ll be fine. But, when we get quiet and we’re not as active, when we don’t cut, then those things kind of hurt us. There’s four things you can control: you can control what kind of defensive effort or energy you’re going to bring. You can control the pursuit of the ball and the physical block-outs. You can’t control if you’re going to get it, but you can control your effort. You can control how hard you run and you can control your movement without the basketball, especially with the way we play. We were back to guys jogging in the wing, instead of running to the corner, and we’ve just got to play better. We need to play better and we will. The lineups will change as we go, and some guys will flourish and some guys will take a little bit longer to figure it out.”​

On the team's performance...

"Tonight, was the definition of a grinder. I don't know if it had to be as much of a grinder on offense because I think we missed some shots at times or we didn't get the ball, and we got our feelings hurt. You can't have that mentality. Your mentality has to be to keep coming. What this team did, which is really hard for teams, is that they kept guarding at a high level. When guys weren't making shots or the ball wasn't moving as crisply as it was because of the way that they were playing off in the paint against Sahvir Wheeler, we still played really hard defensively, and we still played really hard on the glass. As I've said to them, there are four things that you should be able to no matter what in a game. You should be able to control your effort and energy. You should be able to control your rebounding pursuit, your physicality, your attack of the glass. You should be able to control how hard and fast you run, and you should be able to control your movement without the ball. That's kind of what the game brought. Did we hit every one of those aspects? No, but we did defend. We did rebound. For the most part, we ran and pushed it, and we found a way to win the game. All of these games are so important for learning how to win in different ways, and tonight was certainly different from any game that we've played up to this point. It was a great way to find a way to win it"

On the defense...

"That's the maturity when you have older guys. We had some guys tonight that let their lack of offense affect their defense, and we had to get them in and out of the game. For the most part, the older guys and Toumani Camara did a really good job of that. That's Mikal Starks. That's what we have to have. Sahvir Wheeler kept guarding, kept pushing, kept doing those types of things. We had to play him time and score a little bit with the foul issues. Bottom line is that a really good sign of future maturity is when it's not going great for you personally offensively or we're not scoring the way we want to, but we're still coming down and putting stops together, getting deflections, and eliminating the one shot. That's important stuff."

On Andrew Garcia...

"Maturity. Wanting to win. He's coming off the bench right now, but he's a starter to me, and as I've said before, we're going to change this lineup. I could change it by Saturday, and we'll see. Andrew Garcia is a key guy, and he epitomizes doing what it takes to win, playing to his strengths. He's getting better at other aspects of the game. He's playing at a very competitive, high level, and he makes everyone else better. I think he brings comfort because I think people know that he's going to attack the glass. He's going to be able to score inside. He's certainly getting better as a shooter, and those types of things will come. He's just playing to win the game, and I think that's a great indication of leadership from him for us. What we need him to do, and I just said this to him after the game, is to be more vocal and verbal with his teammates during the game and be a little bit more demanding. Now four games in, he needs to be a little bit more comfortable doing that hopefully."

On challenging Toumani Camara and his presence in the game...

“There’s no question, and I think he knows that. I think he’s an example of game one, and we just talked about this before he left here. Game one he came out with a scoring mindset, he didn’t play very well. The last three games he’s come out with an attack mindset, and he’s played extremely well. I think he has had three straight games of double figure deflections, including having 16 tonight, he had 11 at half. He is very, very active. When you come out active, when you come out aggressive, when you come out letting the game come to you offensively, but taking your attack mindset to the game defensively, rebounding the ball with running, good things usually are going to happen. It just takes guys, I am glad he is figuring it out and that doesn’t mean he’s not going to have a tough night at some point, but the bottom line is when you play the game the right way, with the right intent and you’re not worried about your offense and you're not worried about your shooting. You’re not worried about where you're getting the ball, if you’re getting the ball. You play well. You know when you allow yourself to get distracted, I always say to guys you’re seeing ghosts, ‘Don’t see a ghost just play the game. You know when you’re missing shots or it’s not going your way.’ We just have to grow through that and Toumani is a great example of someone who is growing through that. Christian Brown's situation is where we are at in the 2021 season right now. He didn’t feel good at half time, right away it became we have to isolate, we have to get him tested, and it was a judgement call made by our doctor and our trainer to say that he’s not available. He is either tested already or he is testing now, I don’t have the results yet, but either way we will just see how it goes and hope that he is going to be okay."

On the next week's practice...

"We have to take a day off each week. So, we will do that and then we will prepare for Sanford. But it is really important that Toumani Camara rebound the ball. It is very important that he is aggressive and attack. We do need those types of things, and we need it from a lot of people. I have said it to this team every day, ‘We are only going to be as good as our team rebounding, our team defense and our team rebounding. We have to run and put pressure on the rim. We are going to shoot three's, but we are not going to shoot three's just because they are there. We are going to shoot them because we are inside and have gone through the paint and all those types of things.’ So, that is really what we want to continue to build for as we get ready for the next game. Hopefully, they'll rest up some and get ready to roll.

On how important 'energy plays' are to the team..

"Well, I think it says a lot. That is the way we are. We have to be a collective unit. There are not one or two or three guys that are just going to carry this load every night, and we are going to watch them do it. It has to be a team deal. We have to be able to get into our bench and get pressure going from the bench. That is all important. We just all need to get more consistent. The guys need to get more consistent. The bottom line is, when you make good hustle plays your team should be very excited about it. I thought for the most part we did. We don't want to let the social distancing on the bench, or the masks keep us from having tremendous verbal energy and excitement throughout the game. I think the teams that handle that the best will be victorious. It is definitely hard to have it be different. We are very fortunate to be able to play these games. We have to continue to get that across to them that you don't want to waste one moment when it comes to that. You cannot take it for granted, you never know what is coming the next day. For example, Christian Brown was playing fine and all of a sudden, he doesn't feel as good during half-time, and we have to shut him down for the rest of the game. That has now become the new reality for everyone. The main reality is to enjoy what you are doing to the fullest and enjoy doing it with your teammates and make them better in every possible way."

***Shortly after the completion of Coach Crean’s interview session it was announced that Christian Brown underwent a COVID test at the arena which came back negative.

On Camara's performance

"I think that's important; I think like I've said, we've got to get it from a lot of different people. This was a good game to have to fight through because they didn't guard Sahvir Wheeler as much. They packed the paint. They made it a little bit tougher. So, that makes you have to cut a little harder, post a little deeper, screen a little bit better, be ready to shoot, all those types of things. We don't want to let the defense dictate our activity and our movement. There were times it did tonight but for the most part, we still moved, we just did not make as many shots. I thought Toumani did a great job being active."

On Sahvir Wheeler's game

"Don't worry about your offense. It's all about figuring out the game and you can't get quiet. He played really hard, but he got a little quiet tonight, and we can't have that. When you are an energy source and the team feels protected and safe when you are out there, you have to continue to exude that confidence constantly. You do go through it; you have to go through it. But at the end of the day, you have got to understand that whatever you are doing to impact winning is by far the most important thing. So, you point those things out that impacted winning, you try to help him. He's going to be a fine shooter; I'm not worried about that at all. Teams want to go under on the pick and roll, great, we will run riffles, which are re-screens, or we will do different things like that. You can't go under twice, it's not that big of a deal. The other thing we got to get him to understand is to continue to get the ball back the second and third time. That becomes part of the process when the ball sits a little bit, and it's not moving quickly, and we are not cutting without it as well. That effects everybody and that's just part of it. We'll review that in film, we will get back to practice, and we will get ready to go with it on Saturday and try to be better no matter what defense we see from Samford."

Toumani Camara, Sophomore

On his rebounding performance…

“I got to do anything I [could] to help my team, and that’s I think a collective job on everybody’s got to rebound. So, I think that was a big thing for me this game too be really focused on rebounding. Especially the last three games, I haven’t been doing my best at it so it is really something I need to focus on every game, and today, I guess was just a good day about it, and just need to keep rolling and keep it up.”

On his energy and keeping it up with limited fan capacity…

“It is the fact, that we can win this game if we just stay focused on it and think about winning. Don’t let up. My teammates also help me—motivate me by making good plays, Sahvir Wheeler making good plays, the whole team making good plays. So, at the end of the day it is a team sport, so I cannot just lay down, and relax because I have four other dudes relying on me on the court and a whole bench that needs me. Having my energy up every time is something, I think is very important in my game.”

On his comfort handling the ball in transition and what it says about having five guys who can play with the ball…

“I feel really confident with the ball. It is something I worked on this summer, because last year I had a lot of improvement to make. I think having a team with five players that can handle the ball and be able to push it makes it easier for the point guard—for everybody—to just be able to push the ball and go. That is how fast we can be. I think it is a really rare thing you can see in basketball when everybody can handle it. So, I think it is a really good thing for us.”

On his double-double…

“Like I said last time, every time somebody different goes out there and game—it was maybe not Sahvir Wheeler’s game from the assist part but as a collective unit I still think we try to do the best we can. So, if Sahvir cannot achieve this part than we need to pick it up on our side. It is a team sport so we cannot not let all the work fall on Sahvir’s shoulders. I think it is something we pick up naturally.” 

On his work over the summer and the difference in the game…

“Rebounding is a really had thing to work on. I think rebounding is mostly energy and how can you read your defender boxing you out. If everyone is going to rebound, it is going to be easier to only have one man to beat. That’s a thing that’s a team job. I believe it is just energy and going to get it—like who wants it more, and just staying focused and having the same energy all the time, being able to help my teammates in any kind of situation and be able to keep my energy at 100 percent.”

On not letting offensive struggles effect defense…

“I believe we are a completely different team than last year. I believe defensively, we can have a great game every time. It’s just offensively, sometimes we are going to have some games where shots are not going to fall, and we need to be focused on team play. I think that is the main thing we need to work on as a team—playing collectively as a team and stay focused on that and try not to make all on one play. I believe it is all about energy. If you have the energy and if you have the will to play defense every time it is something that is going to stay. If we have this anger and have this willingness to play defense every day, we will be able to have a good defensive game.”

On what the team learned about themselves tonight…

“Like I said, we need to play more collectively. But, that is something we are going to pick up. It is really like keep up the energy and uplift each other throughout the game and stay focused on all the time.”

On his play with Andrew Garcia…

“We are a really close team. I mean we are like a family, so especially since I don’t have my family here with me in town. Being able to have this guy around me is a blessing and just having him, he is a cool dude. We always have a good chemistry. I have a good chemistry with the whole team, basically.”

Andrew Garcia, Graduate Student

On how he was able to attempt so many free throws tonight…

“I try to use my aggressiveness. Coach Crean always puts me in a lot of positions to duck in, punch in, and get good position to use my strength throughout the whole game to wear their big men out. Shoutout to Sahvir Wheeler, Justin Kier, and the rest of the guards for looking for me.”

On what must be done when the team is struggling from the perimeter…

“Even if shots are not falling, we still have to continue our pace. Coach Crean always emphasizes to keep pushing the ball, run the floor, and try to get those easy baskets while the defense is running back. We have to stay together because sometimes we want to get out of ourselves. We had it going pretty early and when you get it going early, you tend to try to get your own stuff. So, he said to keep being a collective team and stay together throughout the whole game.”

On the role experienced players have when the other team is on a run...

“Our role is to do the dirty work: get those rebounds, stay solid defensively, pick everybody out, and run the floor so that everybody can see that and continue that. We don’t want to fall short or get lazy and get out of our M.O., which is always playing at a fast pace. Us leaders have to continue to bring everybody out, bring everybody’s spirits up, and lead by that example.”

On feeding off of Toumani Camara’s 17 rebounds…

“It’s huge. Those second-chance points are really what held us down. A lot of times we got to the paint and a lot of us didn’t crash the boards, but Toumani’s continuous effort throughout the whole game showed. He got to the line, he finished those put-backs, and that’s what we really need consistently throughout the year.”

On the health of his ankle and the different pace that tonight’s game was played at…

“I just nicked it [his ankle] a little bit when I came down in the first half. I’ll be fine, it’s just a little bruise. But, we want to play at that fast pace. Our motto is to wear teams down and still be that fast-paced team with 15 minutes left in the second half to pull away like we did last game. Obviously, tonight’s pace was different, but it was always the pace that Coach Crean wanted us to play at. We have to continue to be ready to stay at the pace of Sahvir Wheeler because he is the focal point, Sahvir and Mikal Starks. We just want to keep on running down the court, both on the offensive and defensive end.”

On his comfort level coming off the bench and not starting…

”Anything that Coach Crean puts me in, I’m willing to do. I value winning more than anything and the more we win, the more success that everybody gets as a whole. So, I’m not worried about starting, I’m just worried about however I can help this team and just put my body out there to work.”

On his role playing next to Camara…

”We try to just come together and abuse that (their play styles) and play to our strengths. Toumani is incredibly athletic and you’ll see him all over the floor. I just try to use my strength and wear down their big men with my speed to run down the court for easy buckets. In those two aspects, we try to get as easy of possessions on the offensive end as we can during the game.”

On the greatest challenge that Montana posed tonight…

”I would say that they made some shots. They are a very good team that runs their offense the best of any team that we have faced this year. I feel like this was the first time that we got challenged as a team by another team that can run their offense fluidly. A lot of times they were getting their cross screens with us getting down there and matching up, so I think that’s what it was.”

Montana Head Coach Travis Decuire

On his initial thoughts of the game…

“There was some growth spurts—no question about it. This game looked like their previous three games that I watched on film. They find a way to open it up, basically by crashing the offensive glass and pushing the ball really hard in transition, which is how they started. Once we got better offensive possessions, and five guys back on defense then they struggled to score. At the same time, we have to have that same resilience on the offensive end on the pressure. You just can’t turn the ball over 20 times and give up 18 offensive rebounds and expect to win.”

On some of the bright spots from his defense…

“Yeah, they were stuck on 21 for a long time. Maybe we could have done a little better if I didn’t flirt with the zone those couple of possessions, but I wanted to keep them in front of us so we can get rebounds with Michael Steadman under the rim and not chasing three-point shooters around. There was growth there no question about it, but once again they got in transition too often and a lot of it was off of our turnovers.”

On what Georgia did defensively that made it tough… 

“They’re quick and they’re strong. You get a SEC team at home, and this reminds me of the University of Washington with Lorenzo Romar, they just pressure you so much. They reach a lot, slap at the ball with every catch and you just can’t get every single one of them, and eventually refs just get used to it and they don’t call it. They just deflected a lot of balls out of our hands. There were four or five times I can recall in the second half that we had a guy open inside, and they slapped the ball out of his hands while he was trying to see the action. We just didn’t do a good enough job offensively being tough and decisive through the pressure."

Dribble Dawgs Take Down Grizzlies

UGA Sports Communications

In a grinding effort, the University of Georgia men’s basketball team defeated the Montana Grizzlies, 63-50, Tuesday evening before 1,638 spectators at Stegeman Coliseum. The Dawgs (4-0) overcame a below-average shooting performance to top the Grizzlies (0-4), dominating in the paint and on the boards.

Sophomore Toumani Camara led Georgia with his first career double-double, posting 15 points on 7-for-13 shooting and a career-high 17 rebounds and three steals. Camara was the third Dawg with a double-double this season and tallied the most rebounds since Trey Thompkins grabbed 17 against Alabama on Feb. 20, 2010.

Graduate Andrew Garcia pitched in 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting with five rebounds, while fellow transfers Justin Kier and P.J. Horne also notched double-digits in scoring, with each downing a pair of 3-pointers. Sophomore Sahvir Wheeler racked up nine points and led the team with five assists.

For the night, the Dawgs shot only 39.7 percent from the field, but outrebounded the Grizzlies, 49-30. Georgia also outscored Montana in transition by a 24-3 margin.

“We were fortunate,” said head coach Tom Crean following the game. “We really were because we had guys that showed up like they were 3-0, rather than trying to get on a one-game winning streak. It’s a whole different mindset.”

Georgia came out firing in the opening moments, quickly building a 9-0 lead and forcing an early Montana timeout after a Horne 3-pointer. The Dawgs continued to set a torrid pace, hitting on nine of their first 11 shots to build a 19-5 lead near the 14-minute mark of the first half.

Using sharp outside shooting, Montana began to come back, posting a 15-4 run that brought the deficit to three points with five minutes to play. Sophomore forward Kyle Owens paced the Grizzlies with 10 first-half points, en route to a game-high 17 points.

Back-to-back baskets from Kier, coupled with a Grizzlies scoring drought, helped Georgia restore its lead to 32-24 at the break, although the Dawgs nearly went scoreless in the final three minutes themselves.

After Montana narrowed the lead to five to open the second half, Georgia’s offense returned to life with a quick 9-2 run that returned the lead to double-digits. The Dawgs’ advantage hovered around 10 points as both teams struggled to score, but consecutive layups from Garcia and Wheeler extended the margin heading into the under-12 timeout.

Once again, the Grizzlies worked their way back into the contest, but a 3-pointer from Kier and a jumper from Camara maintained a comfortable distance for the Dawgs. Scoring struggles returned for both teams with a two-minute drought finally broken up by a Camara layup at the 3:59 mark. Holding a nine-point lead with under two to play, Horne connected on his second 3-pointer of the night to clinch the Georgia victory.

“We need to play better and we will,” said Crean. “The lineups will change as we go, and some guys will flourish and some guys will take a little bit longer to figure it out. We have to be good together, and when we are, then we’ll be fine.”

Georgia will remain home this weekend as it plays host to the Samford Bulldogs on Saturday, Dec. 12 at Stegeman Coliseum. The non-conference matchup is set for a 7 p.m. tip time and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

Gabby Connally Leads The Lady Dawgs Over Oklahoma

Led by a stellar 29-point performance from senior guard Gabby Connally, the Georgia Lady Dawgs basketball team defeated the Oklahoma Sooners, 93-80, at Stegeman Coliseum on Sunday afternoon.

This is the first time since Feb. 21, 2019, against Arkansas that the Lady Dawgs have scored 93 points in a home-opener. Georgia now holds a 5-1 record against the Sooners.

"We were really happy to be home after being on the road. To me, it's the same answer as it was last time we played,” head coach Joni Taylor said. “We have options, and we have depth. That's what shows up, and that's a really fun style to watch to look over and see all our young ladies cheering for each other. I think we have really clearly defined roles, and everyone stays within their role and shows up to provide what we need from them day in and day out. If we continue to do that and stay healthy, we're going to be a fun team to watch this year."

Connally had 15 points at the end of the first half on 50 percent shooting. Coming out halftime, she had a scoreless 10 minutes in the third frame but aggressively took over in the fourth, collecting 14 points. Connally’s dominant outing matches her second-highest scoring performance in her career.

In the first quarter, the Dawgs went on an early 14-2 run after being tied 11 apiece to start the game. The Sooners slowly climbed their way back from being down 12 and scored 10 points in a three-minute time frame. Georgia had a slight 29-22 lead going into the second frame.

The Sooners’ Madi Williams ties the game at 37 apiece in the second frame with a driving layup but a pair of three big three-pointers from Connally and senior Maya Caldwell kept Oklahoma out of reach.

The Lady Dawgs went into halftime with a season-high in first half points, leading the Sooners, 48-42.

Oklahoma’s Madi Williams gave the Sooner’s their first lead of the game on a long shot from beyond the arc with 3:18 remaining in the third frame. The Lady Dawgs had a three-minute stretch without a field goal but two back to back layups by Mikayla Coombs and Sarah Ashlee Barker ties the game at 62-all.

Georgia outscored the Sooners 26-13 in the fourth quarter alone, and that strong offensive and defensive crunch-time effort from the Lady Dawgs gives the team its fourth win on the season.

The Lady Dawgs return to Stegeman to host Jacksonville State on Wednesday, December 9th, at 7 p.m.

Dribble Dawgs Go To 3-0

UGA Sports Communications

Powered by sophomore Sahvir Wheeler’s third-consecutive double-double, the University of Georgia men’s basketball team defeated Jacksonville, 98-65, Friday evening before 1,638 spectators at Stegeman Coliseum. The Dawgs (3-0) outscored the Dolphins (3-1) by a 52-29 margin in the second half to take control and seal their third victory of the week.

Wheeler tallied 21 points on 8-for-18 shooting, along with 10 assists, four rebounds, and two steals, making him the first Dawg to post 20 points and 10 assists since J.J. Frazier against Baylor on Jan. 30, 2016. Fellow sophomore Toumani Camara matched his career high 19 points from Wednesday’s game against North Georgia, finishing 8-for-13 with seven rebounds and four assists.

Four additional Dawgs posted double-digit scoring performances, led by graduate P.J. Horne with 14 points and two 3-pointers. For the night, Georgia shot 51.4 percent from the field, including a season-high eight makes from beyond the arc. The Dawgs notched 15 steals on the evening, the most for the program since picking off 20 against USC Upstate on Nov. 14, 2008.

“It was a really good win for us,” said head coach Tom Crean following the game. “We got to the foul line—not as early as we needed to, but to go 14-of-18, we’ll take that. We made eight threes. Another thing we haven’t done here, which is going to be a huge part, is we had six guys in double-figures.”

Both teams took advantage of their transition games in the early going, with Jacksonville using solid play in the paint to take a 9-8 advantage into the first media timeout. Following the opening burst, the Dawgs took advantage of a Dolphin drought, notching 10 straight points punctuated by a windmill slam from Camara. The scoring run continued for the Dawgs, who extended their lead to as many as 16 points with just over nine minutes to play in the half.

Jacksonville started to cut into its deficit as the first half wore on, relying again on its speed to narrow the score to 30-22 at the five-minute mark. However, Georgia remained stout in transition, scoring four consecutive fast break buckets to keep the distance intact, including a clutch put-back from Horne on a missed layup. With both teams working into the bonus in the final minutes of the period, foul shooting set the halftime score at 46-36.

Following a scoreless first half, junior Tye Fagan opened the second half with a pair of layups, but strong shooting from the Dolphins kept them within striking distance at 55-47 at the first break. Fagan eventually finished with 10 points, shooting 5-for-5 from the field. With each team reaching the bonus by the 11-minute mark, foul trouble started to become a concern for both squads as their offensive outputs faltered as well.

Nonetheless, solid shooting from the line helped the Dawgs reassert themselves in the contest. Georgia’s resulting 23-5 scoring run gave the Dawgs a 27-point lead, highlighted by a thunderous dunk from sophomore Tyron McMillan with seven minutes to play. The Dawgs continued to attack the Dolphins on the break, combining with well-distributed scoring to make the lead 90-61 at the final media timeout. In the final tally, Georgia outscored Jacksonville, 31-7, in transition points.

As time wore down, a pair of late 3-pointers from sophomore Christian Brown and junior Jonathan Ned closed out the evening and Georgia’s 33-point victory.

“They really did an excellent job,” said Crean.”They really did—because we’re tired. I was worried about that before the game and there was a few moments where it showed, but we stayed together. I hate that term ‘grind.’ I hate using that with a team but that’s kind of what we were doing through some of those possessions and then it broke open for us. They found energy with one another.”

Georgia will remain home next week as it plays host to the Montana Grizzlies on Tuesday, December 8th at Stegeman Coliseum. The non-conference matchup is set for a 7 p.m. tip time and will be broadcast on SEC Network.

Lady Dawgs Post 1,000th Win

UGA Sports Communications

The University of Georgia Lady Dawg basketball team made history Thursday night, recording the program’s 1,000th all-time win with a 66-45 victory at East Carolina.

The Lady Dawgs (3-0) become one of just two SEC schools — joining Tennessee — and one of 16 programs nationwide to earn 1,000 wins.

“This win is a tribute to Andy Landers and all the great players who came before us,” head coach Joni Taylor said. “Georgia basketball is special because of all the players, coaches, staff and fans who have and continue to invest so much into this program. It is an honor for our team to be a part of this special night.”

A trio of Lady Dawgs scored in double figures, led by Que Morrison’s 13 points. Jenna Staiti hit double figures for the 11th time in 12 games with her 12 points. Javyn Nicholson added 12 of her own and finished the night a perfect 4-for-4 from the field.

Georgia hit the first three baskets of the game and held East Carolina scoreless the first five minutes.

Nicholson knocked in Georgia’s first two buckets of the second quarter, before the Pirates went on a 6-0 spurt to put the score at 23-16 with 3:53 remaining before the half.

Georgia held East Carolina to a 24-percent shooting effort in the first 20 minutes, but 13 Lady Dawg miscues kept East Carolina close with a 25-18 halftime score.

Georgia committed six turnovers in the first six minutes of the third quarter as ECU cut the Lady Dawgs’ lead to 35-29 at the 4:20 mark. A 3-point bucket from Sarah Ashlee Barker and back-to-back makes from Morrison put Georgia up 46-34 going into the fourth.

Nicholson scored the first six points of the final quarter and Georgia left Greenville with a 66-45 win.

The Lady Dawgs return home to host Oklahoma at noon ET Sunday. The game will be televised nationally on SEC Network.

Basketball Post Game Comments

Coach Tom Crean

Opening Statement 

"When you go from game one to game two, it's not about who you're playing. Like I said before, it doesn't matter if you're playing North Georgia or North Carolina. The way we walked through and the pace and our energy this afternoon, I thought that we might be playing North Carolina with the pace and our energy that they brought. We felt like we were going to play well, and they had a good practice yesterday. You want to make a jump. You want to make improvements. You have to understand that it's not about how you score. It's about how you defend, how you rebound, how you run without the ball, and I thought we did a better job with that. In a regular season, we would have had the two exhibitions, and we would have been on game seven by now. Right now, this is the equivalent of having two exhibition games were you're really trying to learn about your team. Tonight, I thought we were aggressive, and we definitely got after it. We didn't play to score. 

We had 32 deflections at the half and we finished with 62 for the game. We were in bonus at the 13:57 mark in the first half, which was absolutely huge. We had guys moving. We definitely had some turnovers, but on three of Sahvir Wheeler's I was clapping for him because we had more rim runs in this game than we might have had in a month last year, and that can't happen. We have to have that rim game. We have to have a better break, and our kids have to learn how to run and get under the passes from him. I'm proud of the way he's playing with double figures in two straight games. That's big time, and that doesn't happen many times anywhere. I thought Toumani Camara really did a nice job tonight coming out with an attack mindset, a rebounding and defensive mindset rather than a scoring or shooting mindset. In return, he gets 19 points. Like some of the guys said, everyone on this team is returning with a much different role than they had last year. Plus, our new guys are in a different role than they might have been in at their places. So, everything is an adjustment period right now, but we're getting there. 

That was a well coached team. They ran their offense outstanding. We knew they did. It was really good for us to have to make decisions defensively and make adjustments defensively. We did a lot of positive things, plus 19 on the glass and plus 10 at the foul line. a lot of people played. There were definitely too many turnovers, especially with people trying to make plays. They were unselfish plays. A couple of them, we put our head down like we were trying to score and didn't know there was someone there to take a charge. We can't do that, but guys are learning and guys are starting to come together. Every day is a process of coming more together and becoming more consistent and more connected, and that's where leadership still has to emerge. If we keep doing those things, we'll get tougher, and that's what we want to be able to do. We want to get mentally tougher because we're not big and we're not old, so we have to find those other ways. Tonight was a better step for us there. 

On the team’s performance and places for improvement…

“We were active. The biggest thing we wanted to make a jump from game one to game two was our pace of play. We wanted the game defensively. We wanted to establish the game rebounding-wise. You can’t come out and establish the game with jump shots. Brian Fish made a great point today. He said, ‘Everybody on our team that’s returning is in a much different role than they were a year ago.’ Even Sahvir Wheeler to a degree. When you don’t have Ray Hammonds out there, when you don’t have seniors out there like Tyree Crump or Jordan Harris, and certainly when you don’t have Anthony Edwards out there, everything is different. And so, establishing where you’re at, establishing how you’re going to play is one thing, but establishing how you’re going to be committed to the things that mean the most, which is the defense, the rebounding, the running of the floor, the unselfish play, cutting, passing the basketball, that takes time. The bottom line for us is we’ve got to control what we control which is our defensive effort, our rebounding intensity, our ability to run the floor, and how well we move with the ball and move without it. I thought we got better.”

On North Georgia…

“They ran their offense extremely well. They’re very well-coached. They have shooters. They moved the ball, they never panicked. They made us chase them, and I thought our guys did a good job of mixing defenses, but that was a good team and our guys stayed solid with it.”

On defensive intensity...

"We had some size, which we're not going to have most nights. It was more about our activity. we were moving our feet. We were active. We were talking. It was like shell drill defense, the stuff you do every day. Guys were connected. Sometimes we over helped. In the first half, 15 of their 26 points came from the three-point line, but we weren't giving up points in the paint, which is important. We were changing up defenses. We want to change up defenses because they were taking 23, 25, 26 seconds, the majority of the time off the clock during the game. To get those shot clock violations with guys not breaking down, fouling, giving up a drive, those are really good things. That's something that we have to build on. We have to be a very collective group defensively, and there were times tonight when we showed that."

On changing up the defense from man to zone…

“They were super engaged, that’s a great term. Whether we were man, zone or pressing, they were very active. That’s how we have to play. We have to be a combination defensive team, an ever changing defensive team. We’re not going to lead the league in blocked shots, we have to be able to draw charges, we have to be able to rally to the ball, we have to rotate, we have to be able to slide over and slide back, we have to get deflections, we have to get back. Those types of things are going to be hugely important. Yesterday, one thing we did, I showed last night our team Stanford’s defense against Alabama. Alabama is a high throttle, offensive team and Stanford in that game, got back on defense, they limited them to one shot many times, they rallied, they were connected. My message to the guys was, maybe Stanford is older but they’ve practiced even less than we have in the PAC-12. We want to win in this league against teams like Alabama and all these other teams, we have to be incredibly connected. Any message we can give them, whether it’s a visual, whether it’s somebody else, because we don’t have enough film of ourselves. We’re gaining more film of ourselves now, but any of those types of things we want to show. It doesn’t matter what our defense is, it’s got to be active, versatile, connected and it’s got to limit people to one shot.”

On how they handle playing three games in one week…

“I think to us, it’s not optimal, but for this year, it’s very probable. I told the guys too, we may get to a situation where we have three games in three weeks, let alone three games in one week. Who knows what way this season is going to go. Anything you do is getting you ready for what’s coming. It just so happens that this is the way it’s going to be. We wanted to get another game, we wanted to make sure we had another game because it’s so important to play against somebody else. It was not optimal, but like I said, it’s probably going to be probably down the road. We were able to do a couple of those things tonight, they really shoot the ball well. They have a couple of guys that can shoot it at a high level and when I get done with this, I’ll watch tonight’s game they played, I heard they won. I think they’re well coached, I’ve known those guys since we were all in Indiana and they were at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne and they’ve done a really good job there. They have guys that can make shots, they have some matchup problems with guards that can post up, with a point guard that is a really good deliverer and looking for people, and they have a couple of shooters that fire it whenever they catch it. We have to be really on top of that. We’ll measure where we’re at and get a good mix of mental and physical and understand that the most important thing is to be as fresh as we can be Friday night at seven.”

On scoring distribution benefitting/harming offense...

"While it's harmed it, I think it's going to be really, really important that it happened. I don't think our offense is even close yet. I mean, we're really not. We're not even close to understanding the random cutting that goes into this. We are not just a system of cutting, we are cutting and moving and it's going to take some time for that. We're learning about our players. We are learning about some of the older guys where it's best for them. I think it says that that's the way it's going to be all year. I think this team is going to be-if we're going to have any success at all, it's going to be with a lot of guys that can score different nights, its balance scoring. We don't have Anthony Edwards out there, everybody knows that. So bottom line is, it's got to come from a lot of the different people, and we've got to have a lot of different people who feel they are capable. But here's the problem, okay? Probably not going to be the leading score. The bottom line is, when the ball finds energy and you are moving without it and you're making the next pass, balance is good. And we knew that as we built this team. We knew that was going to be a situation. We didn't replace the number one pick in the draft with the probable number one pick in the draft. What we got to be able to do is make sure that we understand the best way for us to win. As I just said to the guys in the locker room, I'm committed to that every day, it's not anything we are deviating from. So, get on board and understand what it takes to be successful and embrace it and do it together.

On off season training and improvement in strength and conditioning... 

"I think they have improved tremendously. I think Sean Hayes and his staff, we've got a strength team down there, have done a fantastic job. Guys, like Toumani Camara were working really hard when they were gone during the pandemic before we were back in school. And I thought Sean did a fantastic job. Tye Fagan was working extremely hard. I think Sean did a great job within the rules of giving them a lot of insights and ideas and things that they could do to get better. But at the end of the day, you can't govern it or legislate it back then, so they had to do it. Some guys didn't do a very good job and some guys didn't do as much with their bodies, and that plays itself out. Some guys didn’t do as much with their bodies—that plays itself out. For the most part, they all have done a really good job here. You know some started behind. Jonathan Ned is still a long way from where he needs to be strength-wise. Tye McMillan is a long way from where he needs to be strength-wise. Bottom line — Justin Kier has gone up six inches on his vertical jump since he has been at Georgia. I mean, that is pretty impressive stuff. I think our strength and conditioning and training team is fantastic. The one thing that we try to do here as part of our development program is to make sure we are not only developing our strength during the season but we are building our athleticism. We want to continue to do that, so hopefully we will continue to make strides.”

On how that translates to on the court improvements, especially with sophomore returners…

“More explosiveness, quicker bursts, better footwork, better defensive feet. I think it will come out even more being stronger with the ball, with finishing through contact. Jackson Etter has been a workhorse. Jackson Etter has worked extremely hard. As I said to the coaches and team after, he would never had made that move in a game last year. I mean that was a powerful, strong move. That is a product of not only confidence but getting his body stronger. Jackson Etter, as I said to the team, the two times that the bench absolutely erupted, on that bench, was Jackson Etter’s drive and Jackson Etter’s foul that looked like a block shot. When you work and you go at it, your teammates respect it. Right? They respect it big time. If you don’t work, they don’t respect it. Bottom line is when you work in the track and field, in the sandpit, in the weight room, in the other conditioning aspects, on the court doing extra—people respect that and you are going to be rewarded. That is how this has got to move. This is how this program has got to move for us. This is how they become more together. That improvement and them gaining confidence on what they are doing athletically and strength-wise is a huge component on how much better they get on the court.”

On looking towards future SEC season...

"I don't think there is any way to know. I don't know anybody that could even project that right now with any sense of knowledge. It's just all too new, right. it really is and when you have eight new guys it’s all too new. really in a realistic year we wouldn't have even started the regular season yet because we would have just played two exhibitions or a scrimmage, right? like I said before, and everyone is in the same boat, twenty-one years as a head coach and that's the first time that's ever happened. When you had no idea walking into a win-loss situation game, what you're going to do, what is going to happen. Everybody is like that, so I don't know if anybody can look, everything is different. These kids have to generate their own enthusiasm so much, because even though we have fans here it's not 10,000, right? And nobody has that. Although it did look like Texas Tech, Houston had quite a few people at it the other day. I am wondering how they got so many. This deal is going to be unique for a long period of time. I don't know if you can put a timeline on any of that, I know I don't have one. I just want to see improvement every day. Now we actually have our own film to watch and not just practice film but we have opponent film and its December 2nd. think about that right? It is just all different now, so I like the way they're getting better though, I like the way they're working. I think some guys will separate and unfortunately if you don't work real hard you will separate the other way. Hopefully we have a bunch of guys that understand that competitiveness every day is going to be crucial. I know we are not real grown up right now and I know we are not as mature when we have so many new guys but I am coaching them like they need to be. Hopefully we can speed the process up that way too."

On physical strength conditioning and staying sharper in the game... 

"Oh yeah I think so. We are scrimmaging more this year and we are doing a lot more with our break but it was not good on Sunday. Our break was not as good and I know we scored 85 points but our rim running was non-existent and that was a big, big point of emphasis especially yesterday. On film and on the court. some guys really stepped it up, that's why I didn't get upset when we were trying to throw it over the top. absolutely it's all a part of the vision of where we want to go with this team and we are not big enough and have sky scraper guys that are just going to line up down low and are going to throw it into and it's going to be points in the paint through the post up constantly. I mean it’s not that we have to be creative, we have good schemes. we have to have great movement, we have to have great without-the-ball movement and great ball movement and with that comes we have to have the running game. then we have to get the recognition of the running game which we are not at yet. We have to create some turnovers, we have to limit to one shot, there are so many things that go into. what conditioning and being able to play through fatigue and being able to play through the disappointments of missing a shot and the things like that are really, really important. Most people get fatigued in their own disappointment than they do in how hard they're playing. the guys that are playing hard it's really easy to see when they hit a wall get them out go back in. That's what I am trying to get them to understand. You start jogging because you didn't get the ball or you missed the shot or you got your feelings hurt on something, you are coming out and you may not get back in. That is the only way that it can get built moving forward. An answer to Mike's question, that's how I am coaching. We have to coach that now, we don't have three, four, five weeks to get down the line like 'well we will just let you play thought it,' I’ll let you play through all kinds of effort mistakes as long as you're making great effort but I won't let you play lack of effort mistakes, lack of awareness mistakes very long because the games are for real and we don't have an experienced team we know we can rely on X amount of things to carry us through if things get tight. it's got to be our ability to play fast, play hard, play together. move without the ball, get up and down the court that's how we want to play. As I have said all along we weren't even as close to as fast as we wanted to play last year not even close. now we can’t have a lot of turnovers night in and night out but we'll get better and that conditioning is going to be a huge part of that.”

On the game atmosphere this year...

"There is a lot different. But it is what it is. Our people are doing a really good job with the music. They are doing a really good job at trying. They are making adjustments. We have already made adjustments from game one to game two, and we will continue to do that. It is all in pencil right now, it doesn't matter what it is, it is all in pencil. I was just reading today, there are some new things with CDC guidelines that could impact college. People are looking at those for the basketball season and the end of football. Everyday there is something new that we are learning. We have to be able to adjust and be able to make decision on the fly. We have to work together as a team with the athletic department, operations staff, and basketball program to try and make this the best atmosphere as it can possibly be. Now, do I expect it to sound like 10,000 people in there yet? No. But we are heading there. I mean we are heading for that even though I know we won't get mor than 17% or 18% of people in there, the way the rules are stated unless they change. Maybe they will? But that doesn't mean we cannot do even more with the enthusiasm and energy that we are trying to provide with the music and things of that nature. I thought it was even better tonight than it was game one and hopefully it'll be better game two. I don't think we can sit around and worry about who is not here or what we don't have. I think we have to put a lot of focus and attention on controlling what we can control."

Toumani Camara, Sophomore 

On how his connection with Sahvir Wheeler has grown since last year… 

 
“It’s the second year that we’ve played together, so the connection between me and him is growing every day and we have a great connection with everybody. We’re like a family, everybody’s close and we spend a lot of time together. It’s just a connection that Sahvir [Wheeler] has with everybody; he’s the head of the team. He’s a good point guard.”

On PJ Horne’s development since arriving in Athens… 

“PJ Horne is a great shooter. I think coming into the program, he’s doing a lot of things that he was not used to doing at his old school. He’s learning a lot, and I’m learning a lot from him because he’s a veteran so he’s teaching us stuff every day. He’s a great teammate and I think he’s going to be great so I’m happy to have him here.”

On if heightened defensive intensity was a focus coming into the game… 

“Yeah, that’s what you have got to do in a basketball game: imposing the tempo. We need to control the tempo; we don’t want the other team to control the tempo. We have to put our energy first and be the one controlling the court so we put a lot of pressure on the basketball and the defensive part is the main thing that you should do on the basketball court. We are getting better every day at it, so I think it’s going to be very helpful.”

On if he made it a point to be more aggressive in the offense tonight… 

 
“Definitely, that was one of the things that I had to work on. We have a team with such a wide variety of talent so one day it might be my day, last game was Tye Fagan and Andrew Garcia and then Sahvir Wheeler also had a good game today and it was me. I think we’re not going to have one man scoring, everybody on the team can score. Of course, I had to work on myself and be more aggressive, but I think it’s the same for everybody, everybody can have their night.”

On what this offseason looked like for his training… 

“I knew it was going to be really important for me to get stronger, especially in the SEC — a very strong conference. I put some weight on and I worked on all my skills which was something that was really important for me and I think that’s what Sahvir [Wheeler] did also and the other returners all did a good job at it. I think it helped the team especially this jump from a freshman to a sophomore needs to be big because coming from high school you don’t really have the experience and everything that I now have so I knew exactly what I had to work on, and my strength was definitely a big part of it.”

On how much weight he gained and where he felt he needed to get better… 

“I put on five pounds and I think the thing that I really needed to work on was my consistency. I need to be able to finish plays and be more consistent in everything that I do and stay positive, always be positive. I’m always going to be positive for my teammate, but also be positive about what I do. I think that’s the main things that I need to work on.”

On not having the band at the games… 

“I love the band! Stegman is different without the band! It’s something that changes especially with the fans and everything but it’s something we need to get used to because it can really affect us that much. We need to stay focused on what we do and I wish we could fill up the stands like last year, maybe even more this year, but it is what it is, and we need to keep going through it.”

Sahvir Wheeler, Sophomore

On focus against lesser opponents… 

“I think it is the same mindset, the same preparation, the same everything as if we are playing the number one team in the country. We deal with every opponent. We game plan to win the game no matter who we are playing against. I think we did a great job of coming out with some energy on the defensive end and I know it took us a little bit to get going scoring wise but once we got going, we were going, and had great energy. We did a way better job defensively then we did last game.”

On fewer fans and the effort to create energy on the bench… 

“Definitely, I think having energy on the bench is imperative even if you have a crowd of 10,000 people, because those are the guys you can communicate with. Those are the guys you see on the sidelines. Obviously during this time in a pandemic, having your guys on the bench and having your own energy is a big thing because those are the guys who have your back. And the fact you can hear them loud and clear helps as well. Us creating that energy and us sustaining that energy—ultimately it did help us in this game—and we got to keep that going.”

On what coach Crean says at halftime and during time outs to make adjustments… 

“This past game was a little slow start. Defense was good. It was 3-1 and that’s imperative. Making sure our defense is on point. We know we can in bunches, we can score in spurts, and at times we can score at half court and at transition. As long we kept our pace, we knew we were going to wearthem down. We kept strong at the defensive end knowing our offensive is going to come.”

On the day-to-day nature of the season right now… 

“His big thing has been be able to adjust and be able to be really flexible. Try to get better each day. We only have the day that we are in so that is his biggest thing be flexible. We are preparing as if we are going to play every game that’s on our schedule. If it does cancel, we are preparing as if we are going to have another opponent. So, coach Crean has been big on playing on demand and being ready on demand. I’m constantly putting work in, I’m at practice competing at practice. We’re working on our craft outside of practice. So, he’s constantly having us be prepared. I think that is his favorite word right now is preparation and being able to adjust.”

On his second double-double and the feeling going into the season...

“I think I feel a little bit more comfortable. Obviously, I am in my second year so all the hard work I put in on the off-season I’m starting to see it. Most of that double-double stuff is a credit to my teammates as well because those are the guys are that finishing the plays and making the shots. So, I give all the credit to them, those guys have really been locked in all summer. Each guy individually has gotten better. If they are a new person, they’ve gotten better since they’ve gotten here until now. Obviously, the returners have gotten better. I think that is more of a credit to them than it is to me. And hopefully, we can keep this going where everyone is playing really well.

On the eight new guys and how he is playing with them…

 
“I think as far as the eight new guys, I don’t think we really think of it as the same feel of it being eight new guys. Because most of those guys have college experience already, whether they come from the JUCO level or they’re grad transfers. Those guys bring a level of maturity, a level of knowledge, and a level of an eagerness of willing to learn and implement that stuff we are doing in our offense and on defense as well. It’s more like guiding them along the ropes. Because guys who are sophomores Toumani, myself, CB, Jaykwon, Jaxon and upperclassmen like Tye Fagan—those guys have already had a year or two of experience under coach Crean under our belt. They are also adding knowledge to what they know and got from their previous school. So, I think it’s been an easy adjustment just that everyone has that college experience already. And to say where we are, we got a lot of work to do, I think that is every team in the country, but I think game by game or the last few games we’ve seen a lot of progress. I think on the defensive end and our ability to make free throws and get to the line. We have some really positive stuff going. We also have stuff to work on so I think we are not close to where we can be, but I am really excited to see where the rest of the season has in store.”

UNG Head Coach Dan Evans

On his thoughts on the game…

“I thought it was a good test for us. It was exactly what we thought we were going it get. They’re athleticism, physicality, pace, things that we can’t necessarily simulate day to day. So, I think from our perspective, that’s a really good thing to deal with and honestly have to manage. So, it was everything we thought they would be. Maybe a little more crisper on defense than they were had been on Sunday, which is a good sign for them. Their size—when it just came down to it, their size on two, three, four five. It became very difficult to deal with. When you pair that size with number two, Sahvir Wheeler’s dynamic play, it just became really difficult for us to handle.”

On how his team has improved week to week after playing Mercer and now Georgia…

“I think we did get better. I do think we got more comfortable in certain things. They certainly took us out of things with their pressure, their zone and the 1-2-2. Our inability to stop them in transition and really our inability to hit some solid looks early in the game that led to their transition really put us in a tough spot in order for us to sustain anything. I do think we improved, I do think we’re more comfortable in what we’re trying to do. We are trying to manage a lot of change. We have a lot of new faces, a lot of new roles. We are managing the health of some people, so, with those things in mind, we showed some things that I appreciate about us. We have to be a lot better as a staff, as a team than what we’ve been. I do think we’re making progress. Playing a team of Georgia’s caliber is one way we can get better.”

Dribble Dawgs Defeat North Georgia

Led by sophomore Toumani Camara’s career-high 19 points, the University of Georgia men’s basketball team defeated North Georgia, 84-62, Wednesday evening before 1,638 spectators at Stegeman Coliseum.

Camara led all scorers with 19 points, finishing 8-for-18 shooting along with seven rebounds. For the second-consecutive game, fellow sophomore Sahvir Wheeler posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists, while Virginia Tech transfer P.J. Horne pitched in with 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting. Wheeler is the first Dawg to post consecutive double-doubles since Anthony Edwards last year against Missouri and Texas A&M.

On the night, the Dawgs (2-0) dominated in the paint by a 50-18 margin and outrebounded the Nighthawks (0-0), 48-27, who counted the game as an exhibition matchup.

“We were active. The biggest thing we wanted to make a jump from game one to game two was our pace of play,” said head coach Tom Crean following the game. “We wanted the game defensively. We wanted to establish the game rebounding-wise. You can’t come out and establish the game with jump shots.”

Both teams struggled from the floor in the early going, combining to shoot 1-for-12 through the first media timeout. The scoring began to pick up as graduate Andrew Garcia scored five straight points to break the tie, followed up by a burst from Wheeler and sophomore Tyron McMillan to extend the advantage to 15-4. Following a timeout, Camara broke out with eight unanswered points, including a pair of 3-pointers.

The Dawgs continued to take control as the first half wore on, riding an 8-0 run to a 30-12 lead with just over six minutes to play in the half. Along with a 13-for-15 performance from the free throw line, Georgia’s sharp shooting helped build a 46-26 lead as the teams headed to the locker room. The first-half point total was the highest for the Dawgs since they posted 47 against Arkansas on February 29th.

In the second half, Georgia’s transition game continued to excel, including a thunderous dunk from Camara just before the first media break. Bolstered by five consecutive makes, the Dawgs took a 26-point lead into the under-12 timeout, with Camara clinching his career high on another slam.

With Georgia starting to empty its bench, North Georgia attempted to narrow the margin, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Horne helped build the lead to a game-high 30 points with six minutes remaining. Similar to the victory over Florida A&M, the Dawgs shot 57.1 percent in the second half following a 58.1 percent performance on Sunday.

As they had throughout the evening, the Dawgs used their transition game to stifle the Nighthawks, with Wheeler converting on a 3-point play to close out his impressive evening. For the contest, Georgia outscored North Georgia, 22-2, in fast break points. The Nighthawks would close the game with a 9-1 run to slightly shrink the final tally.

“North Georgia ran its offense extremely well,” said Crean. “They’re very well-coached. They have shooters. They moved the ball, they never panicked. They made us chase them, and I thought our guys did a good job of mixing defenses, but that was a good team and our guys stayed solid with it.”

Georgia will remain home this weekend as it plays host to the Jacksonville Dolphins on Friday, December 4th at Stegeman Coliseum. The non-conference matchup is set for a 7 p.m. tip time and will be broadcast on SEC Network.

Fagan Named SEC Player Of The Week

UGA Sports Communications

Georgia’s Tye Fagan was named the SEC Player of the Week on Monday by the league office in Birmingham, Alabama, a day after the best outing of his collegiate career against Florida A&M.

Fagan, a 6-3, 195-pound junior from Logtown, Georgia, posted career-high tallies of 21 points and 10 rebounds en route to his first career double-double. He connected on 9-of-10 shots from the field against the Rattlers and played a major role in creating distance on the scoreboard. Fagan scored eight points in a span of 76 seconds as Georgia pushed a two-point lead (49-47) to double figures (59-49).

“I don’t take credit for that,” Fagan said when asked about his performance after the game. “A lot of that has to do with Sahvir Wheeler. He is a great ball-handler, and he finds guys. I’m pretty sure he had 12 assists, so that is what I mean how he found guys. I give a lot of credit to my teammates and coaches to put me in the right places.”

Interestingly, Wheeler also had his first career double-double on Sunday, with 12 points and 12 assists.

Fagan’s performance topped his previous highs of 15 points and six rebounds. For his career, Fagan has now recorded four double-digit scoring outputs. In those four games, he has connected on an almost unfathomable 83.9 percent (26-of-31) of his field goal attempts.

Fagan is the 28th different Dawg to be named SEC Player of the Week since the award’s inception in 1985. Those players have combined to earn 38 SEC Player of the Week certificates.

Georgia will host two games at Stegeman Coliseum this week. The Dawgs will face North Georgia on Wednesday night and Jacksonville on Friday evening. Both games will tipoff at 7:00. Both games will be available online on SEC Network +, while Friday’s also will air on the SEC Network.

Basketball Post Game Quotes

Coach Tom Crean

On the first game...

"I liked our start. I don't think there was any question about that. This morning at our walkthrough, everyone was energized and ready to play. Certainly, there was apprehension even yesterday about if we were really doing this for nothing again, in the sense that were we actually going to play today. I don't mean for nothing but in the sense of are we actually going to play a game. They were ready to go. They were excited to play. We tried to play a lot of people, which was something that I really wanted to do. 

It quickly became a game of who is going to make some defensive stops by guarding their man, where is our help defense going to get better and who can help it get better, and who can be on the glass. I wasn't as concerned about the offense today because I knew if we got stops, we were going to get out and run. there were too many times, and this is just going to have to work out with experience, where we were too slow against their press, first half and second half, where we just didn't get out and attack it like we wanted to. There were too many times where we didn't stay behind the defense because they really lifted up. Tye Fagan obviously knew what he was doing in that area getting back and cutting and the other guys, now that they have this game experience, and they continue to see it they will get better too. It thought there were a lot of positives. 

I thought we beat a team that was very comfortable playing college basketball. Maybe they weren't as much when they lost on the road the other night, but today they were. Robert McCullum is an excellent coach. We competed against each other in Conference USA when he was at South Florida and I was at Marquette, so I knew he was going to come in. 

I'm glad that we worked, even if we didn't attack it really well, on their zone press to zone because we really felt that once they saw our speed that we would get a real dose of that. That gives us something to study now instead of watching last year's film or watching other guys that we've had over a period of time. Now we get to watch ourselves. I think that will be really helpful."

On Sahvir Wheeler...

"He and I are starting to think a lot alike. He had some ideas today inside of the game that he may not have had a year ago, in the sense of looking at actions that would work and where we could put certain people. I think that's a growth thing for him. He really wants to be a leader. He really wants to be a floor general. At the same time, he's incredibly fast. He played more minutes today than I would have liked to have had happen knowing that we have a game Wednesday and again on Friday. It is what it is, and we have to win the game. The only thing that I really wanted to do was play everybody. I played Jaxon Etter late, and I didn't take him out for any reason other than they were fowling and I didn't want to put a kid who hadn't shot the ball automatic at the foul line in that situation. We have to become a team that has strength in numbers. at the end of the day, if you want to play, you have to keep up with Savir Wheeler's speed. 

Tye Fagan is a great example of that with 21 points and how much cutting and working he did tonight. I love what Sahvir Wheeler is about, and I love the leadership and the fact that he can improve a lot right now.”

On the pace of the game...

"It has to get faster. There is no question about that. We're going to see zone pressure all year. Once people see the speed, we're going to see a press. I thought we learned a lot. They came after Sahvir Wheeler with the ball screen, and I probably should have started slipping the screens earlier than what we did, but I never get fearful that he won't be able to make a play out of a trap. They did some things to slow our pace down. That's why we have to be really good defensively. The fact that they made shots and were able to set their press makes it a little harder to get your speed game going in that, but we have to learn how to.”

On P.J. Horne...

"I think he was like a lot of guys. He was pressing a lot. I think if that three goes down early, it's another story. It's different. We have him guarding on the perimeter more and things like that. I reminded him in a timeout that he played the five in 31 games last year. You were guarding Vernon Carey last year and everyone else in that league. Just relax and play. But they didn't really have anyone like that, so he has to get better at guarding on the perimeter. He's going to be a driver for us. He has to be a guy that is going to post and get fouled. When he lines it up and he steps into his shot, which I thought he rushed a little bit early, he's going to be a big factor for us. He changes the energy level of the team when he's making threes."

On the new players on the team...

"Well, it's both. P.J. Horne is a phenomenal shooter. Andrew Garcia is getting better as a shooter. He made 25 threes last year at Stony Brook High School, and P.J. made 45 at Virginia Tech. They will at least double those numbers for us this year. But, I am thinking what I am learning when you have grad transfers like this is as much as we want them to learn how we want to play. They know they are getting better; they know they are getting pushed in different areas and have different skills that they might not have had before. I think the most important thing and I think Andrew showed this that you have to let them play the way they are most comfortable playing. They had 22/23 years of life before us. I thought Andrew did a great job of just playing to his strengths. That is what we have to do with Justin Kier, P.J., Ty McMillin to a degree."

On veteran leadership on the team...

"It is going to be very important. I have said it so many times; and this is the definition of it, the game is always giving you something. And today, Tye Fagan and Andrew Garcia figured out what the game was giving them. We knew that they were going to get extended in their zone. We worked hard yesterday and reviewed it this morning on how much we wanted to attack their zone press, and we didn't do a great job of that. It stagnated just a little bit. But, when the ball is moving and your cutting or you’re going into a post-up, like Andrew, and you’re on the glass—we’re a big corner team. Right? We don’t just want to live in the corner shooting threes. We want to live in the corner for getting drop-offs and for cutting. We will drive out of the corners. We are trying to use every bit of the half-court. We’re trying to use the full-court. Tye Fagan did a really good job of that today. 

I said this on the radio show last night, the last film we showed them was our cutting tape. There was probably 25 clips in there. At one point, l said in the tape, ’This is basically the Tye Fagan clinic video—how to move without the basketball.’ Anthony Edwards was in it. He learned so much about moving without the ball last year. Jordan Harris, Toumani Camara, Rayshaun Hammonds making passes—it’s all last year’s stuff. Sahvir Wheeler finding people, Jordan Harris, Christian Brown. But at the end of the day, Tye Fagan dominates the film because he does a great job of moving without that basketball. Tonight ,whenever everybody looks at it and says, ‘Oh wow! Tye Fagan had 21.’ That stands out because how he got them and how he didn’t need things done for him because we’re not a lets just go call the play for a guy type of team. Sometimes out of timeouts we will, but the majority we want five people moving. With a kid like Sahvir in the game, and Mikal Starks and Jaykwon Walton as they get better at this—it’s going to make it that much easier.”

On the status of K.D. Johnson…

“K.D. Johnson, right now, here’s what we have, he did not play because we’re dealing with some NCAA certification issues, academically. He’s been involved in every basketball-related activities since he arrived on campus, so it’s not of that. He is with us at practice, at workouts. He is probably, not only, do I look at him as one of the best freshman in the league, he is our most competitive guy, and we have some competitors. But, he is our most competitive guy. Right now we are working with our compliance staff and Will Lawler and Steve Flippen to revisit his eligibility status with the NCAA, and we remain hopeful that he will be able to play this season. It’s not an amateurism issue, it’s a certification-eligibility issue that we are working with. 

The most important thing he can do is control what he can control just like everybody else. I appreciate his attitude. He has worked very, very hard in this, and if he was able to play you would see him from the beginning or real early because he is one competitive—he changes the energies of our practices many, many times because of his competitive level. Frankly, it was a little different for everybody not having him out there, too. We are just going to have to get used to it, but at the same time we’re working with compliance and see how it turns out.”

Tye Fagan, Junior

On his performance today and play with Sahvir Wheeler… 

“I don’t take credit for that. A lot of that has to do with Sahvir. He is a great ball-handler, and he finds guys. I’m pretty sure he had 12 assists, so that is what I mean how he found guys. I give a lot of credit to my teammates and coaches to put me in the right places.”

On the differences between the first and second half…

“We came out in the first half—it was our first game of course—we rushed a few shots. We passed up a few shots, and those things are what our coaches are on us daily at practice and when we scrimmage. As a team, we rush shots sometimes and pass up shots. But in the second half, we talked about it, and we seen what he was talking about because it was actually live game action. In the second half, we tried to take better shots and be more efficient with it.”

On how it felt to start the season as an offensive leader…

 
“It feels great. I’ve had chances in the past and when I get them, I just try to see the opportunity. I don’t really think about playing much or not playing much. I just try to do what they need me to do. In the past I had a smaller role—now I have a bigger role. That’s just what it is, I’m just trying to win the game. So, whatever the team needs from me, that is what I am going to try and do.”

On the experience make-up of the team with graduate transfers and new additions… 

“No, I don’t think it will be a problem because these pieces that we have now fit as well. The pieces we had last year fit as how we wanted them to fit. Things just didn’t turn out how we wanted them to—that’s just the game, that’s life, that’s just how it is. For this year with the new guys, we have a lot of leaders. Like the graduates, they’re doing well, they’re leaders. Like Justin Kier, P.J. Horne, all those guys they help lead. And that’s one of my roles too, on the team. I always wanted to be a leader. To help the guys who don’t understand something, understand it. And we are starting to understand it very well. I know we didn’t show it in the first half, but in the second half, we showed it better. And that’s why it helps to have older guys: leadership.”

On rebounding and pride, he takes in defense… 

“I take a lot of pride in it. For one we work on it a lot in practice. Coach always tells us, ‘If we want to get on the court and play, we got to rebound.' I take pride in rebounding, I just happened to get 10 rebounds. I didn’t have a number in mind or anything like that.”

On emphasis on the second half and how it felt to start opposed to coming off the bench… 

“No, it didn’t have a different feeling because my goal is to lead and bring energy like I said. I just want to lead and bring energy. Whether that’s coming off the bench or starting, whatever the case is, I just want to bring something to the team. I felt like in the second half we could play faster but play in control. I just tried to get on a roll and Sahvir and Justin and a couple of guys found me with the brick a few times.”

On Andrew’s performance and what he expects from him this season… 

“That was very big. It didn’t surprise us at all because there had been a few times at practice where different guys went for spurts or just scoring buckets and he’s one of the guys. He can shoot it; he didn’t get to make any threes tonight but he can shoot the three ball pretty good. He’s a post person because he’s strong and physical, and he’s very athletic. I expect that from him all season guarding stronger guys, guarding guards because he can move his feet really well. I expect him to chip in on the defensive end, and I expect him to chip in on the offensive end just like he did tonight.”

Andrew Garcia, Graduate-Transfer

On having little to no expectations coming into today and coming off the bench… 

 
“Coach Crean really emphasized that we have a lot of players at every position coming in and out and just giving it our all. He just wants us to play hard and execute as a team. ”

On if something changed at halftime to spark his second-half outburst… 

“I feel like in the first half we got all our jitters out. We wanted to stay true to being strong, getting it into the post, and using our strength and athleticism down low. We were able to use Tye Fagan's ability to cut without the basketball and utilize one of their weaknesses of looking at the ball. He wanted us to keep moving the ball and get better shots, that was kind of the main emphasis for the second half.”

On the atmosphere of the game in the Covid-era… 

 
“Obviously, we don’t have full capacity fans due to COVID-19, but I felt that that energy was there, especially from my team. We knew from the jump that we had to bring our own energy, be loud on the court, and support each other. Obviously, we have the social distancing on the bench as well, but we have to find ways to keep that energy because that’s our M.O. of supporting each other and being a high-energy team.”

On trying to prepare for a season on a new team with games being uncertain… 

 
“It’s been pretty crazy, but Coach talks every day about how we don’t know what is going to happen the next day, like with the last game just being canceled on Wednesday. Sahvir Wheeler, Toumani Camara and the rest of the team are just trying to keep everybody focused, prepared, and ready to go. We’ve been trying to bring that same approach every day and if something like last game happens, we’ve got to try to find a way, internally, to bring that same energy and be prepared for the next game.”

On the pride that he takes with being the physical enforcer on both ends of the floor… 

 
“I take it 100% to the heart. Wherever coach puts me, I’m going to use 100% of my effort and definitely use my strength and athleticism to guard bigger guys or if I’m in a mismatch. Wherever I’m at, I just want to help this team and I want to win. The more we win, the more exposure we get, and good things happen for everyone.”

On adjusting as a team to P.J. Horn’s slow start… 

 
“I feel like it’s our first game and we're trying to know each other’s spots. PJ’s a knockdown shooter and he’s going to be a big mismatch when those bigger big men have to come out of position and guard him out on the wing. I feel like we’re going to go cut the tape up, go to practice tomorrow and figure it out because he’s not afraid to shoot that ball and that’s what we want him to do. Coach emphasizes every day for him to shoot the ball because that’s what he did at his previous school. So, we’re going to get him going for sure and find a way to incorporate him.”

Florida A&M Head Coach Robert McCullum

On his thoughts on the game…

“I thought our guys played well, I thought we fought hard. We did a lot of things well. Overall, I thought Georgia’s size and athleticism was a big difference over the course of the game.”

On Georgia’s athleticism…

“They’re very athletic. They’re athletic throughout their roster. Which is what you expect a SEC team to be. Their point guard, Sahvir Wheeler, is really good. He’s tough to contain and his penetration really hurt us because he got into the paint time and time again. We had a stretch there in the first half where we went to a zone defense and I thought that slowed them down a little bit. We contained them more. Overall, him breaking us down, getting in the paint and creating looks. All those things were the biggest difference.”

On what he told his guys after the under-16 time out…

“I knew we were okay. We weathered that stretch. We play the game in four-minute increments. We came out of that first media timeout, I think we went to the free throw line. We expected that. Slowly but surely we’d get back into the game. We did and led for different segments of the first half and were only down by one at half-time.”

Dribble Dawgs Open With A Win

UGA Sports Communications

Led by a pair of double-doubles, the University of Georgia men’s basketball team opened its 2020-21 season with an 85-75 win over Florida A&M Sunday afternoon before 1,638 spectators at Stegeman Coliseum. The Dawgs (1-0) were able to pull away late from the Rattlers (0-2) on the strength of 58 percent shooting in the second half, as well as a stout showing from their bench.

Stony Brook transfer Andrew Garcia led all scorers with 22 points on 6-of-8 shooting, along with four rebounds and two steals. Junior Tye Fagan posted a career-high 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting, picking up his first career double-double with a team-best 10 rebounds.

Sophomore Sahvir Wheeler also tallied a double-double with 12 points and a career-high 12 assists, becoming the first Dawg to amass 12 assists since G.G. Smith against Vanderbilt on February 3rd, 1999. Led by Garcia, the Georgia bench outscored Florida A&M, 37-2, while also dominating in the paint with a 50-32 points in the paint advantage.

“We had no idea what to expect, and I know that sounds cliché, but it just totally is,” said head coach Tom Crean following the game. “We hadn’t played a game against somebody else since March 10. That’s why Wednesday night was so important, with no exhibitions or scrimmages, but we didn’t get it. I’m proud of the way they came out and started the game.”

The Dawgs opened quickly, moving out to a 13-2 lead before the first media timeout, with four starters contributing buckets and Fagan grabbing six fast rebounds. The Rattlers responded with a 7-3 run as both teams continued to struggle from beyond the arc in the early going, shooting for a combined 1-for-11 through the under-12 break.

“We want to be a quick-starting team – that was a very quick start for us,” said Crean. “We were locked in. We had a great walkthrough this morning. They were lively and energetic and ready to play against somebody else, but then reality sets in, and you are actually playing against someone else. In practice, you can stop things, you can do X amount of possessions and then change over, and we had to keep going and these guys learned.”

FAMU continued to eat into the advantage, eventually taking the lead for the first time with under six minutes to play in the half on a jumper from junior guard MJ Randolph. The Rattlers continued to ride sharp shooting to a five-point lead until sophomore Christian Brown converted on a four-point play at the 2:31 mark to regain the lead. Brown and Garcia would combine to score the Dawgs’ final 15 points of the half, with Brown’s jumper with one second remaining setting the score at 38-37 Georgia heading into the locker room.

As the second half opened, Fagan asserted himself, scoring Georgia’s first six points of the half. Yet, Florida A&M stayed hot itself, connecting on its first three field goals of the half to maintain the tie score through the first break, but four straight Fagan baskets punctuated a 10-0 Georgia run comprised entirely of fast break points. Nonetheless, Randolph’s scoring kept the Rattlers in the contest, narrowing the margin back down to four midway through the half. He would eventually finish with 21 points of 9-of-13 shooting to lead FAMU in scoring for the afternoon.

Following a short scoring drought, graduate transfer P.J. Horne’s 3-pointer with 5:50 remaining brought the Dawgs’ lead to a game-high 12 points. Fellow graduate Justin Kier would also add to the tally with a three of his own, combining with solid shooting from the foul line to help Georgia finally seal control of the contest with just over two minutes to play. FAMU would tack on an 8-2 run in the final minutes to close out the scoring as the Dawgs notched a season-opening victory.

Georgia will remain home this week as it plays host to the Jacksonville Dolphins on Friday, December 4th at Stegeman Coliseum. The non-conference matchup is set for a 7 p.m. tip time and will be broadcast on SEC Network.