The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Booker's 3pointer sinks Bulldogs
Gamecocks guard’s shot helps drop UGA to 2-3 in SEC.
South Carolina ATHENS — got off to a hot start Saturday, going on a 7-0 run in the game’s opening minutes, on the way to a 64-57 victory against Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum.
The loss dropped Georgia to 2-3 in SEC play and 11-5 overall. It was the second loss of the week for the Bulldogs, who lost to Missouri on Wednesday night.
While the Gamecocks had success on offense in the first half, the Bulldogs struggled with fouls, committing seven before the 10-minute mark in the first half.
Yante Maten kept the game within striking distance for Georgia. During a three-min- ute span in the first half,
Maten scored eight points down low. By the eight-minute mark, South Carolina led by one, 21-20, thanks to Maten’s play.
But turnovers and missed shots by Georgia opened the door for South Carolina to establish a 37-29 lead going into halftime.
Georgia started strong in the second half to again pull within 39-38.
For the next four minutes, Georgia kept within one, staying just behind South Carolina until Gamecocks guard Hassani Gravett nailed a 3-point shot for a 49-43 lead with less than eight minutes to play.
Georgia fought back again and tied it at 49, but a 3-pointer from South Carolina guard Frank Booker on the next possession re-estab- lished the Gamecocks’ lead.
Three who mattered
■ Booker: The South Car- olina guard didn’t see much playing time until late in the first half, but he made up for the time that he wasn’t on the court when he was in. Booker entered the game with an offensive putback before being fouled by Geor- gia’s Tyree Crump behind the 3-point line. Booker made all three free throws and on the next possession hit a jumper to stretch the Gamecocks’ lead to 28-20. In the second half, Booker continued to be the difference-maker, finish- ing with 17 points. ■ Maten: The senior forward established Georgia’s offense throughout the game.
While he struggled to get many opportunities at the top of the key, Maten made his presence known in the paint. Maten led Georgia rebounds. with 25 points and eight
■ Juwan Parker: While
Parker didn’t start, he entered the game relatively quickly and made a differ- ence in keeping Georgia in the game. Twice during the game, Parker went up for a shot and made it as a South Carolina defender slammed into him. Parker made all of his free throws on both occasions. He finished with 11 points.
Turning point
With less than five minutes remaining in the game and after trailing throughout the entire afternoon, Geor- gia finally tied the game up at 49 with Maten scoring down low in the paint.
South Carolina, however, silenced the Stegeman Colis e um crowd as Booker stepped back behind the arc and took back the Gamecocks’ lead at 52-49.
It was just the spark South
Carolina needed to hold off
Georgia.
Observation
Georgia didn’t get any offensive production from freshman Rayshaun Hammonds, who played 36 minutes, but failed to score. Hammonds, who entered the game averaging 7.9 points per game, was 0 for 4 from the field and committed two of Georgia’s 13 turnovers.
Worth mentioning
Georgia football coach Kirby Smart was in attendance at Saturday’s game. Many fans at Stegeman Coliseum rose to their feet as Smart’s son frantically tried to get his dad’s attention on the video board.
Once he did, father and son waved to the excited Stegeman crowd.