Mark Fox’s Georgia Bulldogs opened conference play by hosting the Alabama Crimson Tide in Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday night. Despite staying with the visitors in the early going and surging to within striking distance in the second half, the Red and Black came up short by a 74-59 margin.
In the opening period, Alabama had more turnovers (8-7) and the two teams had an equal number of points in the paint (12), but, otherwise, the first half was predominantly crimson. The Tide hit half their three-pointers (6 of 12), more than half their field goals (13 of 25), and all their foul shots (6 of 6) in the course of building a 38-26 lead at the break.
Georgia had held an 11-10 lead seven minutes into the first half, and the Fox Hounds opened the second half on a 5-2 run to cut the Alabama lead to single digits. A Nemanja Djurisic jump shot and a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope three-pointer sliced the Crimson Tide’s lead to 52-46 with eleven minutes remaining, then Caldwell-Pope brought the Bulldogs to within five points of the visitors with a pair of free throws with a little over eight minutes to play.
The next nine points were scored by Alabama in a run that did not end until Caldwell-Pope drained another couple of shots from the charity stripe, but, by that point, the Tide were up, 64-52, and the contest no longer was in doubt.
Gerald Robinson led all of Saturday’s starters with eleven points, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Nemanja Djurisic contributed 22 and ten, respectively, despite coming in from off the bench. Aside from Robinson, the other four first-teamers combined for five points. At the end of the evening, the effort was encouraging, but the ultimate result was not. The Athenians fought back admirably yet still lost convincingly, which ought to erase any lingering doubts in the fans’ minds that this is apt to be a long year in which the Red and Black will be forced to settle for more than their fair share of moral victories, in lieu of actual ones.
Go ‘Dawgs!
0 recs | 23 comments
KCP didn't start?
He’s clearly our best player. What’s the story there?
DocSkraynj - January 7, 2012 via iPhone app
He didnt start, but he was in really quickly.
tankertoad - January 7, 2012
I can't go watch it since I didn't DVR
but almost 100% certain he started. If not him, then who.
Mr. Sanchez - January 8, 2012
Pretty sure he started
he does have the star next to his name indicating starter.
http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2011-2012/mb1215.html
Mr. Sanchez - January 8, 2012
ESPN says differently.
I’m not arguing with you, but I was going by the ESPN box score, which said Caldwell-Pope came in off the bench.
T Kyle King - January 8, 2012
He didnt start, but came in early, unless I missed the first 2 minutes somehow, which was possible.
tankertoad - January 8, 2012
Thanks.
ESPN could be wrong, but, hey, that’s the price you pay for an instantaneous wrapup! :)
T Kyle King - January 8, 2012
Instantaneous AND ill-informed
just joshin’ ya Kyle.
Mr. Sanchez - January 8, 2012
I'd trust our own box over theres
but as said above, if he didn’t start, then who? I recall Nemi, both Williams, and Robinson for certain, and I guess assumed KCP was the 5th. I was paying attention, but some short fellow kept distracting me.
Mr. Sanchez - January 8, 2012
I remember the announcers when he came in saying something, but I was just getting the game dialed up, so I could be wrong.
tankertoad - January 8, 2012
You and me both...
I’m just stuck with the idea of if KCP didn’t start, then who? And why would our site * his name if he didn’t start?
Mr. Sanchez - January 8, 2012
Well, it did look like Bobo was calling the offense.
tankertoad - January 8, 2012
Or Felton
considering one of his trademarks was long offensive droughts.
Mr. Sanchez - January 8, 2012
their's
/thatguy’shimself
Mr. Sanchez - January 8, 2012
What a horrible offensive game.
#FireMikeBobo
vineyarddawg - January 7, 2012
Any excuse works for me.
But the basketball team is really, really bad on that side of the ball.
Can we get some offense in Athens?!
DocSkraynj - January 8, 2012 via mobile
Empty possessions are killing this team because of their inability to rebound....
Ed Wilson - January 8, 2012
Danny Ware and Hines
demand an open thread.
Mark Mandingo - January 8, 2012 via mobile
and I hear good things about this Bailey kid too
Mark Mandingo - January 8, 2012 via mobile
We can use this as the open thread
and deceive people in to thinking we talk about basketyhoops.
Mr. Sanchez - January 8, 2012
Alright
tankertoad - January 8, 2012
Wish granted:
http://www.dawgsports.com/2012/1/8/2691806/the-other-team-in-red-in-black-sunday-open-thread
tankertoad - January 8, 2012
Thanks for the request, Mark, . . .
. . . and thanks for the quick response, tankertoad.
My bad for not thinking about it.
T Kyle King - January 8, 2012
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