The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bulldogs flounder in swamp
Gators chalk up 14th straight win over UGA in Gainesville.
For years Georgia basketball has struggled to win in Gainesville, Fla., and the Bulldogs’ struggles at Florida continued Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs led for a majority of the game, but the Gators rallied late and took the game to overtime. The Bulldogs played without Yante Maten for the final 8:52 of the game after he fouled out, and Florida pulled out an 80-76 win.
Georgia has not won in Gainesville since 2002, with this loss being their 14th consecutive defeat at Florida.
With the loss, Georgia falls to 11-6 and 3-2 in SEC play, while Florida improves to 14-3 and 5-0 in the SEC.
The Bulldogs led 33-32 at halftime. J.J. Frazier had another strong opening 20 minutes, as he scored 10 points in the first half.
While Georgia led for the entire first half, the lead changed hands multiple times in the second half. The Gators were led by senior Canyon Berry, who made five 3-pointers and led Florida with 27 points.
Florida had a chance to win the game late in the half, but Kasey Hill missed two of his four free throws in the final 24 seconds, and the game went to overtime tied at 67. Frazier missed a contested shot at the buzzer.
Florida responded well to an early Frazier 3-pointer in overtime and got out to a 75-72 lead with more than a minute to go. Georgia was able to chip the deficit to one point, but the Bulldogs never reclaimed the lead. Frazier finished the game with 25 points.
Player of the game — Juwan Parker: While Frazier was his usual spectacular self — he led Georgia in points, assists and steals again — Maten battled foul trouble for much of the game. While he finished with 15 points and five rebounds, he fouled out with 3:52 remaining in regulation.
Parker had his best game of the season. The junior had a career-best 17 points for the Bulldogs. He also grabbed seven rebounds.
Stat line of the game — 3-point defense: Georgia struggled to defend the 3-point line, as the Gators made 9 of 23 3-point tries. Berry made five, while Keith Stone made three. Stone’s 3-pointer in overtime gave the Gators a 72-70 lead that they never relinquished.
Turning point — Maten fouling out: With 3:52 left in the game, Georgia had a 64-59 lead, and Maten had 15 points in just 19 minutes. But Maten, who battled foul trouble all game, picked up his fifth and final foul. The Gators ended regulation on an 8-3 run and held on in overtime.
What’s next for Georgia: The Bulldogs return home for a game Tuesday against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Bulldogs lost to Vandy last season when they met in Nashville, Tenn. Vanderbilt was 2-2 in SEC play before taking on Tennessee on Saturday night.