Georgia basketball: Stats that decided the Bulldogs’ win over Ole Miss

ATHENS, GA - JANUARY 7: Jordan Harris #2 (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA - JANUARY 7: Jordan Harris #2 (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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Georgia basketball defeated Ole Miss 81-63 in the first round of the SEC Tournament. The Bulldogs play Florida in the second round Thursday.

Georgia basketball in’t through with conference play just yet. The Bulldogs throttled Ole Miss in the first round of the SEC Tournament 81-63.

Georgia lead all but 51 seconds of the 40-minute-game. Sahvir Wheeler scored the first points with a drive to the basket 32 seconds into the game. Ole Miss tied the game on its next possession, but after a RayShaun Hammonds jumper at the 18:47 mark, Georgia never trailed and the Rebels never tied the game again.

That’s just one of the stats that stood out Wednesday. Here are other numbers which explain how the Bulldogs defeated Ole Miss by 18 points.

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Six players with multiple field goals

In the first game against Ole Miss, only three players scored on multiple field goals. The stagnant offense couldn’t support a solid defensive game that day and the Bulldogs lost 70-60.

Georgia doubled its number of multi-field goal scorers and played just as well, if not better on defense. The end result was 81 points in an 18-point victory.

The only constant for Georgia across both games was Jordan Harris. The senior led the Bulldogs with 15 points in the first meeting. He outdid himself Wednesday with 21 points. He shot an outstanding eight-of-11 from the field, including three-of-four from outside the arc.

Hammonds, who only scored four points in the first game against Ole Miss, led the Bulldogs with 22 points on Wednesday. He was just as stellar from the field, sinking nine of his 13 attempts. He drained a pair of three-pointers as well. Wheeler joined Hammonds and Harris in double figures with 15 points. Toumani Camara finished with nine points, but he made all three of his field goals.

19 assists

The ball movement Wednesday was a sight to behold. Georgia basketball had 19 assists led by Wheeler’s eight. For comparison, Ole Miss only had six assists and Georgia only had eight assists in the first meeting. Edwards, who struggled from the field and only scored six points, contributed with four assists.

Georgia made those assists by players moving well without the ball. No play defined this more than Mike Peake’s dunk in the second half. Georgia passed the ball to Hammonds just outside the paint and Peake snuck behind the defense down low. Hammonds had an easy pass and Peake had an easy lay-in.