The Georgia Bulldogs and East Tennessee State Buccaneers will each be looking for a bounce-back win when they meet on Sunday in Athens, Ga.
Georgia (4-2) is coming off an 87-73 loss to UAB in the championship game of the Sunshine Slam Beach Bracket on Tuesday in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Buccaneers (3-3) have dropped two straight and three of their past four after falling 74-70 to visiting Appalachian State on Wednesday.
The Bulldogs led UAB 42-41 at halftime before getting blown out in the second half.
Georgia’s Justin Hill had 17 points and four rebounds, while Kario Oquendo (4-for-14 from the field) finished with 12 points and five rebounds and Braelen Bridges added 10 points and seven rebounds.
But the Bulldogs shot 28-for-64 (43.8 percent) from the field, including 5-for-21 (23.8 percent) from beyond the arc, in addition to allowing 52 points in the paint. Georgia also committed 15 turnovers that led to 23 points for the Blazers.
Georgia only scored three points off seven UAB turnovers.
“We were decent defensively in the first half, but I think in the second half it was more about UAB’s offensive output,” Georgia coach Mike White said. “They got it going. We missed a couple of layups, missed a couple of open ones. They went on a run to build a seven-point lead, and the game was just different from then on.”
East Tennessee State led the Mountaineers 68-67 with 2:32 left before Appalachian State scored the next six points to take the lead for good.
Jalen Haynes had a game-high 16 points and 12 rebounds, while DeAnthony Tipler added 13 points and five rebounds and Josh Taylor chipped in 13 points and four rebounds. Allen Strothers finished with 11 points and seven assists.
“I think this team is going to be a team that literally you’ll see get better game by game,” coach Desmond Oliver said.
“Realistically, we’re rebuilding … Step one is to get better every day and step two is to have a really good nonconference season and then go into conference play with some momentum.”
–Field Level Media