ATHENS – In isolation, this game was just one that Georgia could say it ran into another team shooting out of its mind. In the larger picture, however, it was another case of Mark Fox’s team not winning when it needed to.

The months of November and December continue to be a story of missed opportunities for Fox’s team, even at home. This time it was a 89-79 loss to Marquette.

The visiting Golden Eagles (6-2), who like the Bulldogs hope to contend for an NCAA tournament spot in March, poured it in offensively, making 13 shots from beyond the arc, including 8 of their first nine.

Georgia (5-3) was felled by its perimeter defense and rebounding, and bench scoring. The result was another disappointment early in the season, probably leaving the Bulldogs in a hole before they enter SEC play. That’s been the story for most of the past few years.

– Players of the game: Yante Maten (24 points) and J.J. Frazier (22 points) once again carried the load, although they weren’t mistake-free either. Maten had four turnovers and struggled at the free throw line (4-for-8), while Frazier missed eight shots from the field.

– Stat line of the game: Marquette’s 3-point shooting decided the game. The Golden Eagles made their first six 3s, were 8-for-10 from the field, and at one point in the second half were 72 percent from beyond the arc. Entering the game, Marquette was shooting just 38.2 percent from beyond the arc and averaging 8.1 made 3s per game.

– Turning point: Georgia had cut the lead to just two points, with seven minutes left, when Marquette finally answered. Sam Hauser hit a layup while being fouled by Mike Edwards, and converted the three-point play. After a Georgia turnover on the other end, Marquette got the ball to Hauser in the corner, and he drained the 3. It was another case of Marquette scoring in big runs, which it did all game.

What’s next: Georgia has a long break for finals then returns to face Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 14 at Stegeman Coliseum.

– Box score: Yante Maten 24 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks; Derek Ogbeide 7 points and 1 rebound; Turtle Jackson 8 points, 3 steals and 3 assists; Juwan Parker 0 points, 7 rebounds; J.J. Frazier 22 points, 7 assists, 3 steals; Jordan Harris 0 points, 2 turnovers; E’torrion Wilridge 5 points, 3 assists, 2 blocks; Kenny Paul Geno 2 points, 2 rebounds; Mike Edwards 11 points, 3 rebounds.

WHAT THE COACH SAID

“Marquette has a very good offensive team and their offense is significantly better than our defense right now. We didn’t defend the three-point line, did not rebound the basketball, we had too many deadly turnovers that turned into points on the other end, and the combination of those three things was certainly our demise today.” – Georgia’s Mark Fox