Dawn of the Dawg
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Georgia basketball: Players of the game from the win over Arkansas

By Kyle Funderburk

ATHENS, GA - FEBRUARY 19: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Georgia Bulldogs gestures to the crowd in the final minutes of a game against the Auburn Tigers at Stegeman Coliseum on February 19, 2020 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA - FEBRUARY 19: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Georgia Bulldogs gestures to the crowd in the final minutes of a game against the Auburn Tigers at Stegeman Coliseum on February 19, 2020 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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Georgia basketball picked up a big SEC win Saturday against Arkansas. The Bulldogs won 99-89 with six players in double figures.

At one point in the first half Saturday against Arkansas, Georgia basketball had an 18-point lead. The Razorbacks gave Georgia fans flashbacks of losses earlier this month when they cut the margin just one point (83-82) with 2:45 left in regulation.

But Georgia (15-14, 5-11 SEC) had one more hot streak left in it to pull away and win 99-89. Here are the stars from Georgia’s big, momentum-building win over the Razorbacks.

Anthony Edwards

Anthony Edwards played well all game long, but he was at his best during Georgia’s last run to put the game away. Edwards had a hand in Georgia’s last 12 points of the game starting with an assist on a three-pointer by Tyree Crump which extended Georgia’s lead to 90-84. Edwards scored Georgia’s last nine points either at the free throw line or with drives to the basket.

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The future lottery pick finished the game with 26 points. He scored most of those points on jump shots, including nine behind the arc. There’s wasn’t much Arkansas could do to stop him. Edwards has a vertical leap not many college players are used to seeing and that makes his long ball hard to defend. It also helped Edwards bring down seven rebounds, no Razorback had more than six boards.

Arkansas did keep Edwards from driving the lane for first 38 minutes of the game, be he amped up the aggression in the last two minutes. One of his biggest highlights was a devastating dunk on a play where he beat Arkansas’s entire defense after they pinned him on the sideline. The dunk came with 48 minutes remaining and gave Georgia a 94-87 lead.

Rayshaun Hammonds

No one was better for either team in the first half than Rayshaun Hammonds. The junior used his size advantage to score 22 points and rake in nine rebounds. One of those boards preceded a thunderous putback of a missed Anthony Edwards three-pointer.

Hammonds ended the first half with 17 points and he found those 17 in a variety of ways; the aforementioned putback, a couple of three-pointers, some drivers from the top of the key, even a mid-range jumper. Arkansas couldn’t stop Hammonds as he led Georgia to a 47-39 lead at halftime.

Everyone else

Yes, the rest of the team gets a mention as well. Georgia played phenomenal on offense, probably its best game of the season and certainly its best in SEC play. Every starter scored in double figures. 11 points each by Jordan Harris and Sahvir Wheeler, and 10 points by Toumani Camara complimented the great performances by Edwards and Hammonds. Tyree Crump added 14 points off the bench.

Everyone seemed to have a milestone shot against Arkansas. Wheeler had a couple of circus layups, something he’s becoming known for. Camara had a put back dunk similar to Hammonds’. Crump had the late three-pointer to spark the eventual game-clinching run. Harris had the fast break dunk.

Scoring wasn’t the only way other players contributed. Remember, Arkansas’s leading rebounder had six boards. Harris joined Hammonds with nine rebounds and Camara joined Edwards with seven. Christian Brown added three rebounds in seven minutes off the bench.

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