Georgia basketball: Two keys to victory against the Florida Gators

ATHENS, GA - FEBRUARY 19: Mike Peake #30 (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA - FEBRUARY 19: Mike Peake #30 (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Georgia basketball hosts Florida Wednesday night (Mar. 4) in a rematch of its trip to Florida on Feb. 5. The Bulldogs lost the first game 81-75.

Georgia basketball is looking for revenge Wednesday night. The Bulldogs want to erase the memory of a blown 22-point-lead in Gainesville and replace it with a memory of triumph against the Florida Gators. Here’s everything Georgia basketball (15-14, 5-11 SEC) needs to do to upset Florida (18-11, 10-6 SEC).

More players need to score

Anthony Edwards scored 32 points in the first game against Florida and point guard Sahvir Wheeler added 16. Those are solid numbers Georgia basketball hopes to see every night. Seeing the rest of the team combining for 27 points isn’t too shabby, until you see only five players made a shot from the field. Toumani Camara and Jordan Harris only scored four points and two points respectively. Tyree Crump didn’t score at all.

That cannot happen again. If Georgia is to upset the Gators, it needs to score with variety similar to what the Bulldogs had Saturday against Arkansas. Six Bulldogs scored in double-figures that night.

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Georgia basketball doesn’t need that many players in double-figures against Florida, it just needs better output from Camara, Harris and Crump. To the credit of those players, they’ve had better nights since the first game against Florida.

Contain Andre Nembhard

Florida’s Andre Nembhard took 16 shots from the field (making 10 of them) and five shots from the free throw line. He led Florida that night with 25 points. He had only led the Gators in scoring twice before that game and he still only averages 11.4 points per game.

Most of Florida’s best offensive performances have come with Nembhard at the top of its scoring charts. He’s averaging 12.9 points across the Gators’ 18 victories. But when the Gators lose, Nembhard’s average drops to just 9.9 points per game. He only scored four points in the recent loss to Kentucky and just two points in Saturday’s loss to Tennessee. Florida’s offense becomes pedestrian if he’s not scoring.