Georgia escapes with win over Tennessee, advances to SEC Tourney quarterfinals

Georgia will get a third meeting with Kentucky.

Barely.

With the game clock rolling down, and with the Bulldogs leading by two against Tennessee, the Volunteers got a good look at a bucket after working the ball against Georgia's pressure defense along the perimeter. Forward Admiral Schofield, who hit a long-range jumper earlier in the game, was wide open from behind the 3-point line and put up a shot to potentially win the game.

Fortunately for Georgia, the ball grazed off the rim. Grant Williams rebounded the ball and his subsequent shot attempt was blocked. Georgia was able to walk away with a 59-57 win over Tennessee to advance to the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.

Georgia (19-13) was led once again by guard J.J. Frazier, who scored 17 points in the win. Frazier didn’t have to do it all on offense this time as forward Yante Maten returned for the first time in four games. Maten put in 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting in his first outing after injuring his knee in Georgia’s second meeting with Kentucky.

With 5:09 left to play in the game, sophomore E’Torrion Wilridge scored a breakaway layup to put Georgia up 53-51. From there, the Bulldogs held a lead the rest of the way.  

Georgia trailed 27-26 at the break, with the Bulldogs going on a 6-0 run to start the second half.

Although forward Grant Williams got in early foul trouble, the Volunteers (16-16) were able to hold a one-point lead at the half thanks to some sharp-shooting from their perimeter players.

Freshman guard Jordan Bone went 4-of-6 shooting from the 3-point line and hit two of those in the first half. Bone ended the game with 14 points. Redshirt freshman Lamonte Turner also hit a first-half 3-pointer and ended the game with 13 points.

Maten didn’t start the game but entered during Georgia’s first substitution. Maten made his first shot, which was a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

After Bone hit his first 3-pointer to tie the game at 24 with 1:45 remaining, he hit another shortly after to put Tennessee up 27-24. Georgia forward Pape Diatta responded with a mid-range 2-pointer from the left wing, which ultimately gave the Volunteers a 27-26 halftime advantage.

Georgia played Kentucky twice during the regular season. The Bulldogs lost the first game 90-81 in overtime at Rupp Arena and dropped the second 82-77 at home.

Four who mattered

Maten: Maten returned to the lineup after missing the previous four games due to a sprained MCL. Sporting a knee brace over his compression leggings, Maten finished with 12 points and five rebounds. He also logged 26 minutes, which was more than initially expected.

Frazier: Frazier ran the offense efficiently but didn’t have to do the heavy lifting with Maten back. Frazier finished with 17 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Frazier also dished four assists.

Bone: If not for Bone, perhaps Georgia would have run away with a win. Bone caught fire from behind the arc and always seemed to come up with a huge shot when Georgia threatened to go on a run. His 14 points gave him his fifth double-digit scoring game of the season.

Turner: Turner also had a great game from the field, hitting five of his 13 shot attempts for 13 points. Turner added four rebounds and logged a total of 31 minutes on the floor.

Turning point

Like a lot of Georgia's games, this one came down to the wire. But perhaps the biggest moment came when Juwan Parker stole the ball in the backcourt with Georgia leading 53-52. Parker took the ball to the hoop and dunked it, giving the Bulldogs a 55-52 lead with 4:18 left to play in the game.

Observations

Maten’s return: Having Maten back proved beneficial since it took a ton of pressure off of Frazier. Frazier was able to run the offense without everything moving through him, especially on a night where shots weren't falling as frequently from the field -- he finished 4-of-13 shooting. While Maten admitted being rusty at times, his presence took pressure off of the backcourt, which Tennessee tried to pressure early before he entered the game.

Defense bounces back: Georgia had a tough go at it defensively against Arkansas. The Bulldogs responded by holding Tennessee to 33 percent shooting from the field and not allowing easy shots inside. In addition, Williams scored 30 points in the first meeting between the two teams, a 76-75 win for Georgia. Williams was held to only six points on 1-of-1 shooting from the field. Williams also got in foul trouble and played only 23 minutes, which kept him from getting into a rhythm.

Worth mentioning

Frazier plays big: After the game, Frazier was asked if this was the first time he's led Georgia in rebounding. Frazier pointed to a game during his sophomore year in which he led Georgia with 11 rebounds against Seton Hall. Frazier also led Georgia in rebounding in a March 3, 2016 game against South Carolina, in which he had nine rebounds. Leading Georgia in rebounding was nothing new for the 5-foot-10 point guard.

Winning streak extended: Georgia has now won four consecutive games against Tennessee. The last loss occurred on Feb. 18, 2014, when the Volunteers defeated the Bulldogs 67-48. 

They said it

Frazier on adjusting his game to still finish with 17 points: "The ball wasn't going in so I just had to make plays in other ways. I started just trying to get to the line and trying to see the ball go in and make different type of plays, and give credit to my teammates. They played a really good game."

Maten on being able to score 12 points in his return from a knee injury: "I think it was pretty important. I always try to do my best to play within myself, not try to do too much that I don't normally do. So I just try to stick to the paint in this game."

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes on his team's loss: "I thought they played their hearts out (Thursday) and didn't have a great day shooting the ball but had to fight through some foul trouble. But in the end I just thought our guys, (there) wasn't a time I didn't think they competed."

What's next?

Georgia will face No. 1 seed Kentucky in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament Friday at 1 p.m.

This story was originally published March 9, 2017 at 3:03 PM with the headline "Georgia escapes with win over Tennessee, advances to SEC Tourney quarterfinals."