Georgia basketball’s stellar 3-point shooting capped its non conference slate with a gritty 78-72 win over Rider.

The Bulldogs (10-3) finished the game 13-of-25 from beyond the arc, the highest 3-point percentage of the season in front of a sellout home crowd of 10,523.

The win marked Georgia’s fourth season winning 10 games before the new year in school history.

Georgia coach Mike White’s first non conference campaign in Athens was highlighted by his team’s upset of Notre Dame on Dec. 18. The Bulldogs, who entered as 3.5-point underdogs, physically dominated the Fighting Irish in a 77-62 statement win.

The win was especially influential considering UGA’s previous game, which was played 12 days prior, ended in a heartbreaking loss at Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs finished the year by fighting for three late-game victories to reach the 10-win mark.

The high-riding Bulldogs now face a daunting 18-game SEC schedule that includes road games at Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

UGA will look to shock the conference in its SEC opener when it hosts No. 20-ranked Auburn at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 4, 2023. Georgia will also try to avenge a controversial 74-72 loss to the Tigers at Stegeman Coliseum last season.

Terry Roberts and Kario Oquendo co-led the Bulldogs with 17 points apiece, collectively shooting 4-of-9 from 3-point range. Jabri Abdur Rahim sank 5 of 8 3-point attempts to finish with 15 points of his own.

The Bulldogs also protected the ball well, surrendering just nine turnovers.

“To get the lead, I thought we executed pretty well,” Georgia coach Mike White said. “I thought we passed it well. Ball security, decisions, and obviously making shots can be a cure-all.”

It was far from a pretty win for Georgia, as it allowed a 15-4 Rider run from the 7:03 mark to 56 seconds left in the game.

The Broncs (5-6), which trailed 58-38 at the 13:53 mark of the second half, whittled the Georgia lead all the way to 74-72 before the Bulldogs pulled away.

UGA was also out-rebounded, 41-35.

“In a bunch of our wins, we were clearly the aggressor,” White said. “We were clearly the team that just brought it on every possession and wouldn’t back down. I’m a big believer in that there’s always a fight within the game and I think Rider won that fight tonight.”

The Bulldogs took a 37-30 lead into halftime thanks to excellent 3-point shooting. Deep shots from Kario Oquendo and Terry Roberts helped Georgia jump to a 10-0 lead.

Two 3-pointers from Jabri Abdur Rahim gave UGA a 16-4 lead four minutes later. The Broncs bucked backed, though, dominating inside in the first half with 21 rebounds and 16 points in the paint.

Indeed, Georgia simply handled business, beating every team it was favored to beat. White’s first non conference campaign has been a resounding improvement from the 2021 season and a clear encouragement to Georgia basketball fans.

Georgia basketball vs. Rider Box Score (StatBroadcast/Dawgnation)