UPDATE:Oklahoma’s late surge ends Georgia men’s basketball SEC tournament run, 81-75……Read more
Despite strong performances by Silas Demary Jr. and Asa Newell, Georgia men’s basketball’s SEC tournament stay was cut short by a dominant Oklahoma team, defeating the Bulldogs 81-75.
Demary led Georgia with 24 points, drilling a career best five 3-pointers, while Asa Newell recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 21 points and a career high of 17 rebounds. But that wasn’t enough to stop a scorching-hot Jeremiah Fears, who racked up 29 points and five rebounds, scoring the first eight points of a 16-0 run late in the second half that ultimately shut the door on Georgia.
First half flashes
The Bulldogs gave a good early showing, forcing nine turnovers while establishing an early 8-3 lead, with Demary keeping momentum going on a personal 6-0 run, highlighted by an impressive four-point play that included a deep 3-pointer and a foul on Oklahoma’s Brycen Goodine.
However, the Sooners fought back, scoring 18 of the next 24 points and keeping a narrow lead at the 7:00 minute mark — with Fears scoring 11 points in under two minutes. Georgia replied with a 7-0 effort, fueled by Blue Cain and Demary, reclaiming a 37-34 lead with nearly three minutes left in the half. Oklahoma countered, though, closing the half with a 43-39 lead.
Cooling down
The Bulldogs stormed out of the break with a 12-5 run, with Demary hot from beyond the arc to pull Georgia in the lead, 51-48, after the first four minutes of the half. After Georgia pushed the lead to a controlled 64-58 with eight minutes remaining, Fears, once again, flipped the script. The Sooners went on a 16-0 run, with Fears scoring half of the points. Georgia fought until the final buzzer, trimming the deficit to four points twice in the final 20 seconds, but the Sooners held on to win.
“We fought, we did some good things, offensively and defensively not enough, obviously, to advance,” head coach Mike White said after the game. “But, as I said, this team’s accomplished a lot, and we’re ready to get a little bit of rest and move on to the next thing. I feel a bit of an opportunity right around the corner. I’m excited for Sunday, and we’ll be prepared to go to battle.”
Despite the loss, Georgia remains in contention for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. Now, the Bulldogs will head back to Athens, awaiting the Selection Show on Sunday at 6 p.m., where they could claim their first NCAA tournament bid in a decade.
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