Georgia basketball: What went right and wrong in the loss to South Carolina

ATHENS, GA - FEBRUARY 19: Head Coach Tom Crean (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA - FEBRUARY 19: Head Coach Tom Crean (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next

Georgia basketball fell to South Carolina in overtime 94-90 on Wednesday. The Bulldogs fall to 14-14 overall and 4-11 in SEC play.

Georgia basketball played much better against South Carolina this time around, but not well enough to leave Columbia with a victory.

Georgia lost 94-90 in overtime (despite achieving many of the keys to victory). The loss is a huge blow to Georgia’s already slim NCAA Tournament hopes as the Dawgs are all but guaranteed to enter the national tournament season with at least 15 losses.

What went right

Georgia took the Gamecocks to overtime and even lead for much of the game, much better than the 75-59 loss in the first meeting. Here’s how Georgia put itself in a position to win.

More from Dawn of the Dawg

Anthony Edwards’ huge game

Anthony Edwards went off on South Carolina. Edwards scored 36 points, grabbed seven rebounds, made four assists and created four steals. He converted four three pointers, sunk 10 free throws, and most impressively, played over 40 minutes. He was the only player to surpass 40 minutes in the game.

In the last meeting with South Carolina, Edwards dealt with the flu and still scored 16 points in 28 minutes. He looked healthier Wednesday night and the Bulldogs were much better off because of it.

Matching South Carolina on the boards

South Carolina dominated the boards in the first game, out-rebounding Georgia 45-33. The Gamecocks pulled 14 offensive rebounds for 13 second-chance points. The Bulldogs played much better around the rim in this regard Wednesday night.

Edwards’ seven boards were dwarfed only by Rayshaun Hammonds’ nine rebounds. Toumani Camara and Mike Peake each had six rebounds. Cutting the gap in rebounds to zero is a big reason why the scoring margin was zero after regulation.