ATHENS — Georgia basketball hopes to wipe away its worst loss and longest losing streak of the season by silencing No. 5 Florida’s Stephen O’Connell Center on Saturday.
The Bulldogs (14-5, 2-4 SEC) will ride a three-game skid into the 3:30 p.m. matchup in Gainesville (TV: SEC Network). UGA will look for a much stronger outing than its most recent game, a forgettable 68-65 loss at Arkansas on Wednesday.
Many of the problems the Razorbacks tried to cause will be amplified by the Gators (17-2, 4-2), who will attack with a similar offense. Georgia will try to shut down the road crowd early like it did Wednesday, but needs to follow with the same kind of dominance in the second half.
Georgia has collapsed in the second half in its three SEC road games against Ole Miss, Tennessee and Arkansas. Those three teams outscored Georgia by a total of 48 points in the second half, while UGA lost those games by a total scoring margin of 23.
Intensity appeared to be an issue in Wednesday’s late-night loss, as Georgia blew a 12-point halftime lead with several avoidable mistakes. The Bulldogs committed 13 turnovers and were outrebounded 40-30, giving up 18 offensive boards.
UGA coach Mike White knew his team’s focus wasn’t good enough, opening the door for a struggling Razorbacks team to earn its first SEC win.
“Our defensive attention to detail and physical and mental toughness wasn’t as sharp as it needed to be to win on the road,” White said. “That was the brunt of the conversation throughout the media timeouts in the second half, and we just didn’t answer the bell on the defensive glass.”
The Bulldogs certainly will need to be more physical with the towering Gators, who are averaging the second most rebounds per game in the SEC (44.5). Florida’s roster has five big men standing at 6-foot-10 or taller.
Headlining that group of giants is 6-11 Alex Condon, who leads Florida with 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. The Australian sophomore has pulled down double-digit rebounds in four of Florida’s six SEC games.
Florida also averages 15.2 offensive rebounds per game, good for the fourth most in the country.
Stopping Florida’s big men starts with Asa Newell, UGA’s 6-11 freshman superstar. Newell was one of the few bright spots in Wednesday’s loss, leading Georgia with 18 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes, his lowest share of playing time since starting SEC action.
The Bulldogs will need better performances from Newell’s supporting cast in the paint. Fellow 6-11 freshman Somto Cyril had an average night with four rebounds. RJ Godfrey grabbed three, while Justin Abson and Dylan James had none in limited minutes.
White also acknowledged how the road crowd affected Georgia on Wednesday. Bud Walton Arena is one of the louder venues in the SEC, but Wednesday night’s sparse crowd likely won’t compare with Saturday’s environment in Gainesville.
After all, it’s Georgia-Florida and the third homecoming for White, who coached at Florida for seven years before leaving for Athens.
Georgia is 100-124 against Florida all-time, the Gators winning the past 11 games dating to March 2, 2019. Florida is the highest-ranked road opponent Georgia has faced this season.
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