Georgia took on Ole Miss Thursday night in their opening game of the SEC Tournament. The Bulldogs didn’t need a win to get into the NCAA Tournament, but a deep run in the SEC Tournament would have been a welcomed site.
Unfortunately for Georgia their comeback attempt came up just short as Ole Miss held on late to win 76-72.
The Bulldogs didn’t play great for most of the night, but in the final 10 minutes they stormed back from over 20 points down to have a chance to win. The officials however had other ideas as two missed goaltending calls (on top of a few other obvious misses) cost Georgia this win. And while being eliminated from this tournament isn’t ideal, these blown calls could hurt Georgia in the NCAA Tournament even more.
Georgia’s hopes of an NCAA Tournament run were tarnished by a few blown calls
After a record setting regular season the Bulldogs had already clinched their spot in the NCAA Tournament. Georgia didn’t need to prove anything to anyone anymore, but a few wins in the SEC Tournament would’ve helped improve their seed in the Big Dance.
Unfortunately this loss to a below .500 Ole Miss team will drop Georgia’s seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Georgia was widely viewed as a 7-seed in the NCAA Tournament before this loss. One victory likely would’ve cemented that seed at minimum, but this loss likely will drop them to at least an 8-seed. That means if Georgia advances they will be forced to play a 1-seed in the second round of the tournament instead of a 2-seed.
On paper that may not seem like a big deal, but the gap between the 1-seeds and the 2-seeds this year is massive. Georgia would have a shot to upset a 2-seed, but they likely stand no chance against a 1-seed.
The officials undoubtedly cost Georgia a chance at an SEC Championship thanks to their poor officiating, but this loss will end up hurting UGA even more during the NCAA Tournament when it matters most.