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Big OT win by Bulldogs snaps 12-game streak by Gamecocks

With the Bulldogs down by 10 with 6:31 left to play in regulation, there were certainly some unfavorable vibes floating throughout Stegeman Coliseum during Saturday night’s game against South Carolina.

But suddenly, all that changed for the Bulldogs.

After switching to a half-court press, Georgia rattled the Gamecocks before finding enough offense to surge to an 81-78 overtime win.

“I look forward to watching the film,” head coach Mike White said. “We always talk about let’s try to get a stop, and let’s make a shot. We’ve got plenty of time here. If we got a couple of stops and scored, this place would get loud, and it did. That was it.”

Indeed.

Trailing 62-52, Georgia answered with a 10-point run that took just 1:16 off the clock. The lead would change hands two more times, with the Bulldogs barely avoiding disaster at the end when it appeared Georgia might have committed a foul with just over a second left.

The official did not see it that way, however, and in overtime, Georgia (14-7, 4-4) outscored the Gamecocks 8-5 in the five-minute frame with Kario Oquendo tallying all eight points, six coming on free throws.

South Carolina (8-13, 1-7) had a chance to tie with 5.6 seconds left, but a wild three-pointer bounced off the rim, securing the victory for the Bulldogs.

After the game, White credited his team’s press for sparking the comeback win.

“It was huge. A couple of the biggest factors in the game were press and grind,” White said. “I thought they worked hand in hand. When we got in press, it got really loud, and it helps you with your press or your half-court defense. South Carolina is trying to run its offense and it’s really, really loud. It’s really hard to communicate, and we’ve experienced it on the road in this league.”

Four Bulldogs finished in double-figures, led by Mardrez McBride who played what White felt was his best game, scoring 17 points, and converting 5 of 7 three-point attempts.

“My guys, I felt, just found me in good positions,” McBride said. “I just shot the ball.”

Oquendo—who, along with Terry Roberts, did not score a point in the first half—finished with 16, followed by Frank Anselem with 12 and Roberts with 10.

Jusaun Holt finished with eight points but helped key Georgia’s comeback by playing relentless defense and coming up with a team-high five steals.

“Defensive intensity is what turned it around,” Holt said. “That’s something we’ve been slacking in, but tonight I felt our defensive intensity changed the game.”

With the win, the Bulldogs snapped a 12-game losing streak to South Carolina dating back to 2016.

Although White said he typically does not get caught up in streaks, he did bring up the current one against South Carolina during shoot-around before the game.

“I’m not really big on that, but I thought it might give our guys a little added motivation,” White said. “We talked about it at shootaround. That’s pretty cool for our fans, I guess. But yeah, we talked about the fact that we had a chance to end a pretty significant streak, and we did.”

Georgia found itself off a slow start in the first half after an 11-0 run by South Carolina put the Gamecocks up 29-20 at the 7:10 mark.

But the Bulldogs would answer, ultimately tying the game at 35 on back-to-back three-pointers by McBride. But only momentarily.

On South Carolina’s final possession, Meechie Johnson misfired on a long three-point attempt, only to have Hayden Brown pick the loose ball out of the air and slam it down for a 37-35 halftime lead. Georgia could thank McBride for the game being as close as it was.

The Augusta native finished the first half with 12 points on a quartet of three-pointers, followed by Alexander-Moncrieffe with eight.

Boxscore

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News and Notes

... Saturday's game marked the 121st meeting between the Bulldogs and Gamecocks. South Carolina leads South Carolina 62-59. With the win, Coach White moves to 18-2 all-time in Stegeman Coliseum.

... Four Bulldogs notched double-digit points on the evening, tying the season high for double-digit scorers. Terry Roberts posted his 14th consecutive double-digit performance of the season and 18th total (42nd career), while Kario Oquendo tallied his 12th (36th career). Mardrez McBride posted his fourth (34th career) and Frank Anselem logged his second (second career).

... On his 23rd birthday, Oquendo recorded 16 points, 5 rebounds, and a steal, including all seven of the Bulldogs’ points in overtime to help to seal the win over the Gamecocks.

... Anselem went 6-of-9 from the field to record a career-high 12 points.

... The Bulldogs trailed by as many as 12 points in tonight’s contest before storming back to earn their fourth SEC win of the season.

... Saturday marked the first time the Bulldogs have played an overtime game since Jan. 6, 2021 against LSU.

... Georgia is 3-2 on the season in games decided by five or less points. Last season, they were 1-5.

... The Gamecocks held the lead for over 33 minutes on the evening, as well as out-rebounding the Bulldogs, 42-31

Next Up

Georgia is back on the road Wednesday with a trip to Auburn (7 p.m., SEC Network). The Bulldogs beat the Tigers 76-64 in their first meeting at Stegeman on January 4.

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