Georgia had few answers in the second half on Saturday in Fayetteville, showing its weaknesses without star forward Yante Maten and falling to Arkansas 85-67.

The Razorbacks implemented a full-court press on numerous occasions, wearing down the Bulldogs. As the game progressed which eventually resulted in a rout as Georgia couldn’t slow down Arkansas on the offensive end - shooting 56 percent – and couldn’t follow that up by shooting only 31 percent, well under its average on the season.

Georgia gave itself a chance at the intermission, trailing by only a point and seeing significant production from J.J. Frazier and Derek Ogbeide, who was doing enough to fill in for Maten. But then the game’s turning point came when Frazier picked up his fourth personal foul in the opening minutes of the second half and the Bulldogs’ offense was discombobulated as a result. Arkansas jumped out to a double-digit lead and it proved to be too much for Georgia as it failed to put together a string of defensive stops.

“They took that momentum and ran with it. We just didn’t defend and rebound today anywhere near to a level that would allow us to win against a top-50 team on the road,” Georgia head coach Mark Fox said. “This is the first time that we could not find a lineup that could not score and get stops. We just couldn’t find that formula today. We are obviously very banged up, and this is the first time I thought it really got to us. We just couldn’t find the group today that could get stops, and that really cost us, especially in the second half."

Frazier, averaging 36.6 minutes per game in conference play, was able to stay on the court for only 33 minutes due to the foul concerns – finishing with 24 points. For Georgia, the reasoning for the defeat is quite simple: a big discrepancy in points in the paint due to the Bulldogs’ passive defensive efforts.

Arkansas finished with 48 points down low, a 26-point advantage over the Bulldogs. The Razorbacks finished with four scorers in double figures, led by Moses Kingsley, Dusty Hannahs and Jaylen Barford – each with 15.

“This is probably as bad, statistically, as we’ve played defensively,” Fox said. “We just didn’t defend like we need to defend to win. Arkansas has a good offensive club, and they took full advantage of that.”

In terms of seeding for next week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville, Georgia will either earn a seventh or eighth seed, dependent upon Saturday night’s game between South Carolina and Mississippi.

The Bulldogs – finishing with a 9-9 conference record – own the tiebreaker over the Rebels. Thus, if Ole Miss loses and also finishes with nine wins, then Georgia would claim the seventh seed and most likely face Texas A&M. If Ole Miss claims its tenth victory in conference, it will claim the seventh seed and Georgia will be slated with an early tip with an eighth seed – most likely against Tennessee.

If Georgia hopes to wreak havoc in the conference tournament, the return of Maten could certainly help it do so. The junior traveled to Fayetteville with the team, creating a bit of intrigue on when he may return. Fox was mum once more on a potential update, but gives a timetable as to when further word may come.

“He will continue to rehab and see a doctor next week,” Fox said. “We’ll see where he’s at. I have no more information than that.”

Georgia’s road to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015 got tougher with Saturday’s defeat. If it were to beat Arkansas, a top-30 RPI team, the Bulldogs would be in a fairly good position. After falling victim to the 18-point rout, Georgia will have to win a game against one of the conference’s top-tier teams at the very least, and some bracketologists believe that its chances for an at-large bid may have dissipated.

Nevertheless, Fox feels confident in his team’s current position while aware that work is to be done in Nashville. Georgia, entering postseason play with a 18-13 record, holds one win against a top-50 RPI team, but no losses against teams below the top-100.

“I think our team has played a top-20 schedule in America,” Fox said. “We’ve got probably eight or nine wins against the top-100, and five of our losses against the top-10. I feel like when we’re whole, when Maten comes back, that we’re as good as anybody. We’ll go home and try to regroup for Nashville.”