Georgia’s basketball team didn’t do much wrong in the first half Saturday night at Auburn. Then the Bulldogs did very little right in the second half.
The result was the Bulldogs’ third loss in their past four games in a 79-65 decision to the Tigers.
Georgia led 40-24 late in the first half and then by 14 points at the break, but Auburn outscored Georgia 53-25 in the second half.
Georgia falls to 12-6 overall and 3-4 in SEC play, while Auburn improves to 17-2 and 5-1.
3 who mattered
- Yante Maten: The senior led the Bulldogs with 17 points, but he was only 3-for-7 shooting from the floor. Maten did make 11 of his 12 free-throw attempts and had 9 rebounds.
- Juwan Parker: The senior added 16 points for the Bulldogs, including hitting four 3-pointers
- Bryce Brown: The Tigers junior had a game-high 28 points, hitting 9-of-15 shots from the floor. He had five 3-pointers.
Turning point
- Georgia dominated the first half and led 40-26 at the break. Auburn, however, responded with a 28-4 start to the second half to lead by 10 at 54-44. From there, the Bulldogs couldn’t get back in it.
Observations
- Offensive struggles continue: Georgia hasn’t had much offensive punch in recent games, and that continued Saturday, especially in the second half. The Bulldogs shot 20-of-49 from the floor (40.8 percent), including 6-of-16 on 3-pointers (37.5 percent).
- On target from the free-throw line: Both teams were terrific from the free-throw line. Georgia made 19-of-21 attempts, while Auburn made 21-of-23.
Worth mentioning
- Tough road stretch: The Bulldogs played their second consecutive game away from home Saturday, and they play three of their next five on the road, as well.
- Tight series: Georgia leads its all-time series with Auburn 94-92, and the Tigers are now 60-25 at home against the Bulldogs.
What’s next?
- Georgia hosts Arkansas at 6:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Arkansas beat Ole Miss 97-93 on Saturday.
