The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hopes for NCAA bid survive in tight win
Frazier, defense come through in tense final minutes against Vols.
NASHVILLE, TENN. — It was yet another Georgia basketball game that came down to the final moment. This time, however, J.J. Frazier didn’t have his best game. But he’ll have at least one more. Georgia (19-13) held on to defeat Tennessee 59-57 in the SEC tournament Thursday, as the Bulldogs survived an ugly game, and their NCAA tournament hopes survived with them.
After Georgia’s Mike Edwards missed two free throws — one long, one short — with 22.9 seconds left, Tennessee (16-16) held for the last shot. Georgia played strong defense, leading to a missed 3-point attempt by Admiral Schofield, then a last-second heave that was knocked away by Edwards. It’s not clear whether the shot would have counted, anyway.
Player of the game: Frazier struggled mightily from the field, going 4 for 13. But he was perfect from the free-throw line, going 8 for 8, benefitting from his ability to drive and draw fouls. He led
Georgia with 17 points and 10 rebounds, despite being the smallest player on the court.
Stat line of the game: Yante Maten played 26 minutes and was Georgia’s second-leading scorer (12 points) and rebounder (five points). The junior power forward was playing for the first time since spraining his knee Feb. 18.
Turning point: In a game that featured 12 lead changes, the final one came after Tennessee took a 48-47 lead. Frazier made two free throws to ignite a mini-run and Juwan Parker’s midcourt steal and dunk made the score 55-52. Georgia would hold on from there, with Frazier making two key free throws to again make it a two-point game with 1:36 left.
What’s next: Georgia (1913) plays top-seeded Kentucky at 1 p.m. today.
The Bulldogs likely need to pull off the upset to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.