What a statement! After having been picked to pieces over their less-than-stellar strength of schedule in the non-conference, No. 23 Georgia improved to 13-1 on the season with one of the craziest games you will ever see. After truly blowing it up four points with 0.7 seconds left at the end of regulation, Jeremiah Wilkinson's heroics and redemption act stunned the Auburn Tigers, 104-100.
Although this heartbreaking road loss to commence league play will drop Steven Pearl's team to 9-5 on the season, this may very well end up being a Quad 1 win for Georgia, or a Quad 1 loss for Auburn when it comes to Selection Sunday... This game showed us that Georgia has the talent and the clutch genes to be one of the best teams in the SEC this season, but there is still room for real improvement.
Leading the way for Georgia with 31 points was Wilkinson. Marcus Millender provided 24 off the bench, while Blue Cain and Somto Cyril were every bit as impactful in their starting roles iwth 15 points apiece. Mike White can take this win and help his team grow from it. They will need it because the Dawgs have a quick tournaround. They will play arch rival and White's former team in Florida next.
Now that we have had a second or two to breathe and get our composure, let's unpack this huge win.
Mike White's Georgia Bulldogs answer the bell with impressive SEC win
If Georgia won this game, it was for these reasons. First off, they got equal distribution from the four players mentioned above in scoring. When one player would go cold, another would warm up to alleviate him. The trio of Cain, Cyril, and Wilkison as starters can matchup with most anyone in SEC play. Having Millender be such a factor off the bench shows that Georgia's depth cannot be ignored.
The second key factor has everything to do with depth. While White implemented an 11-man rotation, Pearl only played eight guys in this game. For as clutch as Tahaad Pettiford was for the Tigers coming off the bench with 25 points, he fouled out before the game was decided. The same thing happened to Filip Jovic. A lack of bodies to keep pace with Georgia's pace was a major issue.
And third, Georgia really took advantage of Auburn's miscues at the charity stripe. Georgia made 71 percent of its free throws, while Auburn only managed to get 67-percent of its attempts through the cylinder. Yes, Georgia needs to play with a big more composure in key spots, as illustrated by Wilkinson's stupid foul on Keyshawn Hall with 0.7 seconds left. That led to Kevin Overton's huge shot.
Overall, Georgia looks the part of a tournament team in the SEC. The magic number of wins in league play might be eight to get UGA to 20 on the year and in the tournament in some way, shape or form. For now, they passed the test with thieir first SEC victory of the season. Give Wilkinson credit from battling through a bum ankle in overtime to avenge his moronic foul to send this one into overtime.
Ultimately, Georgia's ability to play with pace and athleticism is why the Dawgs won on Saturday. Auburn could still be a good team, but the Tigers feel a little bit disjointed under their recently promoted head coach. As for Georgia, White has his guys believing in themselves, knowing they can compete with anyone. This is a game Georgia would have normally lost historically, but not today.
Once Dylan James' two free throws went through the cylinder, the game was finally sealed for UGA.