The Bulldogs already had their backs against the wall, but now they’ve been thrust into must-win territory if they want a berth in the NCAA tournament.
Georgia’s second-half comeback didn’t prove enough as the Bulldogs lost to South Carolina 66-57 in Columbia on Wednesday.
Here are five observations from the potentially back-breaking loss:
Slow start: The first half was a perfect illustration of why Georgia and South Carolina rank as the worst and second-worst scoring offenses in SEC play.
The Gamecocks held a 42-27 lead at intermission, but it wasn’t easy getting there. The teams were knotted at 9-9 eight minutes into the game before Yante Maten’s and-one put UGA up 12-9.
The Bulldogs led 15-12 after 10 minutes, shooting 36.4 percent against USC’s 22.2. Things went downhill from there for UGA.
South Carolina ripped off seven consecutive points, a borderline monumental accomplishment given both offense’s ineptitude through much of the night. The Gamecocks expanded that to a 17-6 run, with Frank Booker’s 3-point shot giving USC the first double-digit lead of the night, at 34-24.
Back-to-back USC 3’s to close the half put UGA in a 15-point hole it could never overcome.
No offense: Georgia's offense was inexplicably poor considering it was coming off two big best conference wins, at Florida and against Tennessee.
The Bulldogs scored five points through the first seven minutes. They turned it over 10 times in the first half, 17 in the game. Through 17 minutes, they committed eight turnovers against one assist.
UGA played 12 men, but could’ve find any cohesion. Players often were stagnant, unable to find the open man and forcing poor attempts to beat the clock. The Gamecocks seemed to come up with many of the hustle plays that Georgia couldn’t.
Not even the easy looks were falling; once South Carolina mildly woke up, the Bulldogs couldn’t keep pace.
Georgia kid: Booker, an Augusta native, played a large part in sinking the Bulldogs.
The Gamecocks’ first guard off the bench led his team with 17 points (5-for-9) in 25 minutes during the team’s first meeting in January, including two late 3-pointers to hold Georgia off.
His shooting percentages won’t look as nice this time, but he proved just as effective.
Rather than second-half heroics, Booker’s greatest impact may have come early. He made four 3’s in the first half to carry the Gamecocks’ offense. He finished 4-for-13, with 14 points.
Wesley Myers played his closer role this time around, makIng two late 3’s.
Booker was at Oklahoma and Florida Atlantic before finding a home with South Carolina.
Comeback attempt: Reminiscent of the first meeting between the teams, Georgia played significantly better in the second half. Like before, it wasn't enough.
Behind Rayshaun Hammonds and Turtle Jackson, the Bulldogs used an opening 9-2 run to pull within 44-36. Tyree Crump’s off-balance, shot-clock-beating 3 cut Georgia’s deficit to 47-43 with 12:30 remaining.
Chris Silva drew a foul by Maten and converted an and-one to put South Carolina back up BY 10 at the 11:22 mark.
Felipe Haase and Jackson exchanged 3’s before Maten made the score 55-49. Myers made two 3’s to push the lead to 11 with four minutes left.
South Carolina managed to stir up an otherwise nonchalant crowd in the wanning moments, doing just enough to prevent a scare and finish the sweep.
What now: The previous two quality wins revived UGA's NCAA tournament hopes. Wednesday's loss might've ended them.
Georgia already was in a near must-win position, likely needing to win three of its final four, if not win out. South Carolina would’ve been a nice feather in the cap had Georgia rallied.
Working in its favor was the depth of the SEC. The conference boasts seven teams receiving votes in the AP Top 25. While inconsistent, Georgia has stayed alive behind one of the nation’s better defenses, and received a jolt from the Florida and Tennessee victories after a three-game losing streak.
UGA has no breathing room remaining. TeamRankings.come gave the Bulldogs just an 11 percent chance of making the tournament before the loss. ESPN’s predictions didn’t even have UGA on the bubble.
Fortunately, two of the final three come at home against LSU and Texas A&M. The Tigers (16-11, 7-8) and Aggies (17-11, 6-9) are in similar situations to the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs end the regular season March 3 at Tennessee. Georgia upset the Volunteers on Feb. 17 in Athens.
If it fails to win out, Georgia likely will have to bank on winning the SEC tournament to qualify for the big dance. The tournament will be held March 7-11 in St. Louis.
