An unsteady start brings Georgia’s historic season to a crashing end

“Gonzaga is really good,” White said. “Perhaps underseeded.”

Georgia was no match for the tournament-tested crew from Spokane, Wash., one that was making its 26th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and Thursday won its 16th consecutive opening-round game. These Bulldogs played with the confidence, precision and urgency of a team that knew the drill.

“I could definitely tell they’ve been there before,” Georgia forward RJ Godfrey said. “They were just on top of all the details, they were disciplined, they were physical, and you can tell coach (Mark) Few really had them up for that game.”

Early, UGA players appeared tentative and nervous, exacerbating their season-long turnover problem. They had difficulty handling Gonzaga’s defensive pressure.

Star freshman forward Asa Newell lost the ball out of bounds on a dribble. Guard Silas Demary Jr. tossed up a jumper that glanced off the backboard without touching the rim. On a pick-and-roll, guard Dakota Leffew bounced a pass off his target’s leg.

In its first seven possessions, Georgia turned the ball over five times and missed four shots, enabling Gonzaga to take a 13-0 lead in the first 3 1/2 minutes.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga stroked 3-pointers, was deliberate and aggressive with the ball in the post and confidently attacked the basket.

These Bulldogs were the picture of confidence and poise, while the ones from Athens looked unready for the moment.

“I think as a team, yeah, (we were tentative),” Godfrey said. “It’s a big stage, it’s the first time for everybody in the locker room.”

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

White watched helplessly as a team that had reached historic heights, becoming just the sixth UGA team to reach 20 wins in the regular season, fumbled away its biggest moment in a decade against an unrelenting, merciless machine.

White finally saw enough when Gonzaga forward Ben Gregg had his low-post shot blocked by Georgia forward Justin Abson, but then ripped the loose ball away from Abson and flipped it in for a basket.

White called a timeout for the first time in the game. The score was 27-3 in Gonzaga’s favor and barely eight minutes of game time had elapsed.

It made Gonzaga guard Nolan Hickman’s pregame assessment of the challenges that tournament newcomers face appear most prophetic.

“I think the first-timers, it’s a challenge for them,” Hickman said Wednesday. “It’s something that they just haven’t experienced before.”

After the bobble-filled start, who on either side could argue the point?

Certainly not Hickman when offered a chance to offer a postgame analysis.

“Honestly, the first possession, I kind of felt a sense of that,” Hickman said. “My guys are kind of like calm, composed, very energetic, ready to go. I don’t quite want to bash any of the Georgia guys, but it showed in the first possession of the game.”

All of the talk about the SEC-representing Bulldogs being battle-tested by a historically competitive conference rang hollow.

If there’s a positive to be gleaned for White’s program, it’s these two things. After getting off the floor from the early knockdown, the Bulldogs looked far more like the team that knocked off the likes of Florida and St. John’s.

For whatever it’s worth, the second half was played to a 41-41 tie.

In what would figure to be his final game in Georgia’s red and black, Newell finished with 20 pounds and eight rebounds. Demary added 15 points and four assists.

With its nerves calmed and feet steadied after the game-opening flop session, what Georgia wouldn’t have given to hit reset and start the game over.

And, if White indeed has UGA on a path toward becoming a regular NCAA visitor, his Bulldogs will better know what the tournament feels like and what it takes to win.

“We took a step this year, and our aim is to continue to take steps,” White said.

Georgia will almost certainly have to make the climb next year without the presumably NBA-bound Newell, who shared the court with his older brother Jaden, a walk-on, for the game’s final minute. They shared a hug after the buzzer sounded, their time as teammates likely complete.

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

The younger Newell seemed to hint at his future in the postgame news conference. He called playing with his brother “a beautiful moment that I got to share some of my last seconds – of the team’s last seconds – in March Madness together."

If foundational players such as Demary and Blue Cain lead this team back to the tournament in 2026, they’ll have this humbling experience to serve as a guide and fuel.

But, as Georgia players walked off the floor, their time in this great American sporting spectacle over not long after it began, that likely offered very little comfort.