Too much Michael Devoe and a nasty showing from the free throw line proved too much for Georgia to overcome as the Bulldogs fell to Georgia Tech on Friday night, 88-78.
Devoe was unstoppable.
The reigning ACC Tournament MVP poured in 37 points, but it was a forgettable 12-of-24 effort from the line that put a huge crimp in whatever chances the Bulldogs (2-2) had of beating the Yellow Jackets (3-1) for the seventh straight time.
"Sometimes we're out there just playing basketball instead of thinking basketball. There were too many times in the game where we did not do a good job on the game plan with Devoe and taking away his left hand," Crean said. "We missed free throws tonight in crucial times. It's one thing to shoot 12 of 24 for the game, it's another to shoot them at the crucial times that we did."
After trailing by as much as 10 points in the second half, the Bulldogs rallied back, cutting the lead to one on a steal and slam by Jabri Abdur-Rahim with 6:31 to play.
Georgia continued to surge.
A layup by Jailyn Ingram off an assist from Aaron Cook gave the Bulldogs the lead for the first time in the second half.
But that’s when Devoe and the Yellow Jackets took control for good, mounting an 8-0 run to put the Yellow Jackets in front 79-73 with 2:20 to play.
Georgia could only get within five the rest of the way as Devoe tallied nine of his 37 points over the final 4:08.
“There’s no way we should let anyone score 37 points in a college basketball game,” said Cook, who has now led the Bulldogs in scoring in back-to-back games.
"We couldn't get on his left hand consistently. It's as simple as that. He can score with his right hand. He really doesn't dribble real well with his right hand, and we just let him get to his strength," Crean said. "They're veterans, ACC champions. They've been through a lot. They're really good players. They've got a good team, really good team. We just never made them uncomfortable enough, and we got to get that corrected."
Cook and Ingram did all they could to give Georgia an opportunity. Cook tallied 18 points, including 4 of 6 shooting on three-pointers, and dished out six assists, while Ingram tossed in 17. Abdur-Rahim added 10, including a pair of three-pointers.
Devoe was indeed a one-man wrecking crew, for whom the Bulldogs had absolutely no answer.
The Tech star could not miss, hitting his first six shots, including a trio of three-pointers for 19 points as the Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 41-36 halftime lead.
Georgia started quickly.
The Bulldogs held a six-point advantage just over six minutes into the game and held the advantage for much of the half, its last coming at 34-32 with 2:17 on the clock.
However, that’s when Devoe and Georgia Tech took over, scoring Georgia 9-4 the rest of the way. Devoe – a left-hander- accounted for most the damage, scoring eight of the nine points.
“He was just too comfortable the whole game,” Ingram said. “We just didn’t focus on him enough. We let him get to his left hand and he was comfortable the whole night.”
Some lackluster free throw shooting did not help Georgia’s cause. The Bulldogs were a mere 6 of 15 from the line, while Georgia Tech went 60 percent from the field.
Georgia returns to action on Monday when the Bulldogs take on Virginia in the Legends Classic at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The Bulldogs return home on Sunday, Nov. 28 against Wofford at 4 p.m.
NOTES: Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker and former UGA golfer and Masters Champion Bubba Watson attended Friday’s game. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was also in attendance.
