Georgia felt it played well defensively in overtime. Daryl Macon still hit the big shots

Georgia felt it did everything right on defense in double overtime.

It pressed the perimeter. It wouldn't let anyone slip loose for an open look. It wouldn't let anyone drive the lane without anyone closing.

Yet for as well as the Bulldogs did on the defensive end late in Tuesday's 80-77 loss to Arkansas in double overtime, there was no answer for Arkansas guard Daryl Macon. Macon, who didn't score his first point until the 15:04 mark of the second half, sank three 3-pointers in the second overtime period.

And each of those shots were contested.

"He's a great player. Let's give him credit," Georgia head coach Mark Fox said. "I don't think we made errors there. He made contested shots."

Down 71-69, Macon drilled his first 3-pointer in the double overtime period to give the Razorbacks a one-point lead with 2:50 to play. After Georgia forward Yante Maten made a pair of free throws, Macon came back down the floor and hit another 3-pointer to put Arkansas up 75-73.

Georgia guard Turtle Jackson answered with a 3-pointer of his own from the left wing to put the Bulldogs up 76-75.

But Macon once again came through for Arkansas with yet another 3-pointer, this time with 1:05 left.

Each time a Georgia defender was in his face. On one of the 3s, Maten closed out on Macon, making it seem like a near-impossible shot. Yet Macon got the ball to swish through the hoop.

"He was making contested shots," Maten said. "I gave him a really hard one. I didn't think he would make it and he did. Turtle gave him a few. They were all really contested. It was good defense but better offense."

Despite going nearly 25 minutes without a basket, Macon finished the game with 25 points. Eleven of those points came in the second overtime period.

As Macon got going, Georgia's defense started keying on him even more.

"I told him he had to be a little more assertive. He kind of embraces those moments," Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson said. "Our guys did a good job getting the ball to him. He did a good job knocking those shots down. It was needed."

Georgia guard Juwan Parker felt the Bulldogs defended Macon exactly how they wanted. But as it is in basketball, sometimes the other team makes the better play.

"It's definitely part of the game. It's not a good feeling but it's a part of the game," Parker said. "You can't let it affect you when you have time left in the game."

This story was originally published January 23, 2018 at 10:10 PM with the headline "Georgia felt it played well defensively in overtime. Daryl Macon still hit the big shots."