What we learned from Georgia basketball’s strong start but eventual loss to Kentucky

Each time Georgia hosts basketball blue blood Kentucky inside Stegeman Coliseum, it almost seems like a movie that’s played on repeat.

Georgia opens its doors to a raucous crowd (although this atmosphere carried a heightened level of excitement while packed to the brim to watch an improved Bulldog team and star guard Anthony Edwards) and gets off to a fast start. At moments, the fans can taste it and anticipation builds into the second half.

But during the final minutes, Kentucky’s advantages rise above Georgia’s deficiencies and the Wildcats pull away with a win. Tuesday night’s contest had the same script: a close Georgia loss, 78-69.

Georgia had its chances and even went into the halftime locker room with a six-point lead. But an old-fashioned, and potentially-predictable Kentucky run occurred in the second half. The Wildcats built a 15-point advantage to erase the deficit, climbed on the back of forward Nick Richards (13 second-half points on 6 of 8 shooting) and prevailed as the more experienced team.

The Bulldogs began to look like a team with nine freshmen with turnovers, allowing Kentucky to draw fouls for and-1 opportunities and watching their lead dissipate. There were plenty of efforts like head coach Tom Crean actively hyping the crowd while Georgia searched for a defensive stop, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Georgia inched close to claiming consecutive wins over top teams, and the gauntlet continues at No. 5 Auburn on Saturday. Junior forward Rayshaun Hammonds said Monday that the Bulldogs needed to “grow up.” They did so in some aspects (especially in the 23 minutes when holding a lead), but fell short of doing so at periods.

Back to that moment when Georgia looked to claim control, though, because it gives a glimpse of the team’s potential. A one-and-done type of prospect like Edwards gave the Bulldogs a chance to knock off the Wildcats for the first time since 2013.

Seconds before the halftime buzzer, Edwards tested the security of Stegeman Coliseum’s roof. He cut toward the basket, grasped possession on a bounce pass from Sahvir Wheeler and elevated.

Edwards ferociously slammed down a dunk, made a packed-out crowd full of Georgia fans — not many Kentucky fans found their way into the arena, unlike the usual routine — erupt to a deafening volume and struck a pose while glancing toward the courtside seats. Edwards had his eyes set on Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, a young NBA star who stood in amazement while filming the exchange on his iPhone.

Once the horn sounded, Edwards soaked in the moment. Georgia led against a premier program, Kentucky, the program that the former No. 1 overall recruit almost suited up for. Edwards flapped his jersey, smiled and allowed a Georgia basketball fan base to awaken and take notice.

The following 20 minutes, however, weren’t as fruitful for Crean’s young squad. Georgia lost its rebounding edge, allowed Kentucky to shoot 59 percent in the final half and score 21 points off 14 turnovers for the game.

Georgia is a good basketball team, and much better than it has had in recent memory. But consistent success against the next level of opponents hasn’t yet been achieved.