Terry Roberts scored a game-high 16 points, and Braelen Bridges added 11 points and 10 rebounds to lift Georgia to a 58-50 victory over visiting Mississippi State on Wednesday in Athens, Ga.
In a game where both teams shot under 30 percent from the field, Roberts went 4 of 11 from the floor, including 2 of 6 from 3-point range, to go along with three rebounds and three assists.
Justin Hill added 12 points and Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds for the Bulldogs.
Georgia (12-4, 2-1 SEC), which beat Mississippi State for the first time in six meetings, shot 14 of 47 (29.8 percent) from the field, including 5 of 23 from 3-point range. Georgia, which has won five of its past six games, outrebounded Mississippi State 47-39.
Mississippi State (12-4, 1-3), which has dropped four of its past five, was led by Shakeel Moore’s 15 points. D.J. Jeffries added 10 points and seven rebounds, and Cameron Matthews finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.
Mississippi State shot 18 of 61 (29.5 percent) from the field, including 7 of 27 from beyond the arc.
Georgia went 25 of 31 from the free-throw line, while Mississippi State went an abysmal 7 of 22, including Tolu Smith missing eight of his 11 attempts.
With Bulldogs head football coach Kirby Smart sitting courtside with his family fresh off another a second straight national title, Georgia showed its mettle after Moore’s 3-pointer tied the game at 44 with 4:45 remaining.
Hill made two free throws, and after Smith split a pair for Mississippi State to make it 46-45 with 3:09 remaining, Moncrieffe hit two free throws for a three-point lead with 2:39 left.
Jabri Abdur-Rahim hit two free throws to extend the lead to 50-45 with 1:28 to go before Davis’ 3-pointer made it 50-48 with 1:12 remaining.
Roberts’ pair of free throws pushed Georgia’s advantage to 52-48 with 46 seconds left before Bridges’ two free throws made it 54-48 with 25 seconds to play.
–Field Level Media