Gators top Dogs 62-52 behind strong defense

Florida’sdefense ATHENS— put the chomp on Georgia down the stretch, sending the Bulldogs spiraling down with their third consecutive loss.

The Gators (10-7, 2-3 SEC) silencedthe crowdat Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday with the 62-52 victory against Georgia (9-8, 1-4).

The Bulldogs held a 48-43 leadwith 9minutes, 38seconds left before going without a fifield goal over the next 9:16, Jordan Harris’ layup ending a 15-2 run.

UGA’s lack of a true point guard caught up with it again, with the Bulldogs missing six consecutive shots from the flfloor and turning the ball over six times during Florida’s decisive splurge.

Harris led the Bulldogs with 10 points, and Nicolas Claxton had a game-high 12 rebounds and nine points.

Rayshaun Hammonds, UGA’s leading scorer entering the game, was held scoreless for the second time in SEC play, going 0 for 4 with four turnovers.

The Gators entered the day as the SEC’s top scoring defense (61.8 points per game) and held true to form, forcing 20 turnovers.

Georgia coach Tom Crean had returned from Michiganto coachthegame after his mother, Marjorie, died Thursday.

The sellout crowd did what it could to encourage

coach and his team. The arena was rocking when Georgia made its

fifirst six shots of the second half, including four 3-pointers, to tie it at40 at the 15-minute mark.

Moments later, the Bulldogs took their fifirst lead 42-40 with 13:40 left on E’Torrion Wilridge’s putback.

After Florida answered with a 3-pointer, Georgia went on a 6-0 run to take its largest lead 48-43 on Harris’ reverse layup.

The Bulldogs were ice cold from there on.

Florida held a 33-23 lead at the half, Georgia struggling to run sets against the Gators’ pressing, trapping defensense.e.

Florida jumped to an 8-0 lead before the Bulldogs fifinally scored at the 15:09 mark when Harris split a pair of free throws.

Florida was threatening to make it a romp when the Bulldogs put together a 7-0 run capped by Tyree Crump’s 3-pointer at the 10:25 mark that cut the defificit to 16-12.

The Gators got back on a roll, however, controlling the tempo and leading by as many as 13 before taking the 10-point edge into halftime.

RICH VON BIBERSTEIN / ICON SPORTSWIRE Georgia guard Tyree Crump, who had six points, drives to the basket against Florida at Stegeman Coliseumon Saturday.