With Georgia basketball facing a cold winter, Houston Kessler stepped from the shadows and struck a match. JJ Frazier threw gas on the fire and the Dawgs beat Tech. It was JJ’s day. It was a lifetime for Houston Kessler.
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Houston Kessler came to Georgia with the dream of every kid who carries his shoes to the court. That dream soon was chopped to a hope for one splendid season. The reality of basketball competition at the highest amateur level finally shrank Kessler’s dream into a hope for one shining moment.
Congratulations Mr. Kessler – it’s a win. A big one.
Houston Kessler, carrying a name that weighs heavy, entered Saturday’s noon showdown with Georgia Tech in danger of becoming one of few living Bulldogs to lose every varsity contest to the hated North Avenue rival. And after the Bulldogs first half performance, media personnel quietly cracked open the record book and began searching for the last time any Bulldog varsity class went winless against the greatest of all rivals.
Houston Kessler would have none of such ignominy.
Opening the second half like his very soul was at risk (was it not?) he created a basketball tempest that spun a one point half time deficit into a six-point lead two minutes into the second half.
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Beginning the final 20 minutes with two offensive rebounds – the second in a wrestling brawl with tech guard Adam Heath – followed by an assist, Kessler then out wrestled Tech guard Adam Smith for a defensive rebound leading to a one-pass fast break and three pointer by JJ Frazier. Having done the dirty work to hand the Dawgs a four point lead, Kessler rewarded himself with a rim to rim sprint following a Kenny Gaines steal, beating all nine players to the Georgia basket for an easy catch and lay in.
In the decisive opening two minutes and forty-five seconds of the second half, Kessler claimed three rebounds, an assist, and two points. Every Georgia point to open the second half was the result of a Kessler rebound, assist, or basket.
Glory, Glory!
This was J. J. Frazier’s night. With 35 points against Tech to snap a four game losing streak – an eternity in Dawg years – JJ is the hero, the star, the title character in the show. But this was Houston Kessler’s career moment.
This is the moment Kessler, and every die-hard Tech-hating Georgia fan attending, will remember for a lifetime. With 28 minutes of court time, 6 points, 8 rebounds, an assist, splendid team defense and a toughness that lifted the red and black tide, it was Kessler that dragged the JJ Frazier chariot to victory.
Long ago branded as the Georgia whipping boy for basketball failure, few will recognize Kessler’s accomplishments in the biggest game of the year, or even acknowledge the effort. It’s a shame, because the thick skull-ed masses that claim the title of Big Fan missed one of the greatest Glory, Glory! moments in Georgia basketball history.
Serves them right.
This one’s for you Houston – to Hell with Tech!