Bulldog basketball: men win again, Lady Dogs play tonight

It is the longest Georgia Bulldog basketball winning streak since the 1940s: the Dogs beat Arkansas 76-66 last night at Stegeman Coliseum, extending their streak to 10 games.

From Ryan Cullinane, UGA Sports Communications…

The Georgia men’s basketball team led wire-to-wire in its 76-66 win over Arkansas, helping secure the Bulldogs’ 10th win in a row on Wednesday evening before 7,820 spectators inside Stegeman Coliseum.

Justin Hill led the Bulldogs (12-3, 2-0 SEC) in scoring off the bench with 19 points and three 3-pointers. Noah Thomasson added 15 points while RJ Melendez had 10 points and five rebounds. Georgia outscored the Razorbacks (9-6, 0-2 SEC) in points off turnovers by a 25-10 margin. The Bulldogs’ 10-game win streak is tied for the fourth-most consecutive wins in program history and the longest win streak since the 1947-48 season. Georgia is also 2-0 in SEC play for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

The Bulldogs swung momentum their way early using a 14-2 run, highlighted by a dunk from Blue Cain in transition to force a timeout from the Razorbacks with just over three minutes to go in the first half. Georgia maintained its energy to build a 34-24 halftime lead, marking only the third time that the team had led by double figures at the half in conference play in the past three seasons.

Despite Thomasson knocking down back-to-back shots from beyond the arc to open the second half, Arkansas began to chip into Georgia’s lead, shrinking it to three points with 6:41 remaining. Jabri Abdur-Rahim’s first 3-pointer of the day gave the Bulldogs a 65-59 advantage at the final media timeout. Silas Demary Jr. connected on a long ball that put Georgia up eight with under a minute to go, helping to secure the team’s 12th win of the season.

Georgia will continue conference play inside Stegeman Coliseum against No. 5 Tennessee on Saturday, Jan. 13 at noon ET. The contest will be nationally broadcasted by ESPN2. The Bulldogs will be looking for their first home win against the Volunteers since Jan. 15, 2020.

Five Fast Facts

• The Georgia bench contributed 40 of the team’s 76 points, led by Justin Hill’s 19, a new season best.

• The Bulldogs’ 10-point halftime lead, 34-24, marks the third time in the last three seasons Georgia’s built at least a 10-point halftime lead in conference play.

• Georgia’s win on Wednesday night marks its first win over Arkansas since its 99-89 victory on Feb. 29, 2020.

• The Bulldogs are 10-0 inside Stegeman Coliseum this season and 23-4 in Mike White’s two seasons at the helm of the program.

• Noah Thomasson scored 15 points, marking the sixth time in the last seven games he’s reach double-digit scoring and the 59th time in his career.

Key Quote

Head Coach Mike White: “Arkansas obviously is a really good program, and it’s a really good win for us. I do not like the way we’re always executing. Don’t always love our shot selection. But I like our level of confidence right now. You need it normally against the best, the best defensively in college basketball.”

There is Lady Dogs basketball tonight in Stegeman Coliseum: the home team tips at 7 o’clock against Alabama.

From Tray Littlefield, UGA Sports Communications…

Georgia returns home to host Alabama at 7 p.m. ET this Thursday inside Stegeman Coliseum. The contest will air on SEC Network + and the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network.

» Both teams are 1-1 in conference play, with Alabama coming off a win at Missouri. Georgia defeated Texas A&M last Thursday and fell to Arkansas this past Sunday.

» Georgia owns a commanding 44-14 lead in the all-time series against Alabama. The Lady Bulldogs have won five of the last seven meetings between the two programs.

» Five of the last 10 matchups between these teams have gone into overtime. The last 10 meetings have been decided by an average margin of 5.3 ppg.

» Fifth-year senior forward Javyn Nicholson is riding a seven-game double-double streak. She is the first Georgia player since Janet Harris during the 1984-85 season to post seven consecutive double-doubles.

» Nicholson’s 10 double-doubles lead all SEC players and are fourth-most nationally this season.

» As a team, Georgia ranks third in the SEC, holding teams to just 34 percent from the field this year.

» Alabama is led in scoring by former Georgia player Sarah Ashlee Barker. Barker averages 16 ppg and is one of three Alabama players in double figures. Barker placed on the SEC All-Freshman Team as a Lady Bulldog in 2021.

» Georgia is in its second season under the leadership of Coach ABE. ABE’s successful first year included a NCAA tournament appearance, 22 wins, and a fifth-place finish in the final SEC standings.

» The Lady Bulldogs were the only SEC squad to not have a single player enter the transfer portal this past offseason.

» Coach ABE’s teams have won 20 or more games in 11-straight seasons, while her 12 NCAA tournament appearances rank third among active SEC coaches, only behind Kim Mulkey (LSU) and Dawn Staley (South Carolina).

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