Just over a year ago, the Georgia Bulldogs led the Missouri Tigers 42-30 at halftime. The Dawgs lost that game, 72 to 69. On Tuesday night, it was Mizzou's turn as they led 37 to 33 at halftime and led by as many as 13 points in the second half (48-35). The Dawgs rebounded, started to hit their threes, and won the game 80 to 70. Missouri was ranked, which makes this even more special—the last time Georgia defeated a ranked foe was almost a full calendar ago (February 19, 2020 vs. Auburn).
Here are some big reasons why the Dawgs won in this edition of High Fives.
1 - Georgia's last three opponents have all been ranked. The Bulldogs' defense did not fare too well in the first two (especially against Alabama). Check out these numbers showing how much the Dawgs improved, based on how well their opponents shot.
2 - Speaking of shooting, let's look at how Georgia fared in the first half on Tuesday, compared to the game's second twenty minutes.
3 - Five Bulldog players scored in double-digits against the Tigers, with Justin Kier leading the way (16 points). The graduate transfer has been struggling as of late, connecting on just 2-of-14 shots from the field over the last two games. Kier switched gears against Mizzou, making 6-of-7 field goals, including a perfect 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. This season, he has been hot in many games, helping lead Georgia to victory, but he's also seen some struggles as the Bulldogs have lost. Check out this comparison.
4 - Once again, Sahvir Wheeler did a little bit of everything on the court. The 5-foot-10 sophomore scored 12 points while grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out six assists. In the Tom Crean era, a Bulldog has racked up at least 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists a total of five times. Four of those five times have happened this season, with Wheeler doing it twice. Here are the occasions:
5 - One of the more exciting players of the moment is Jaxon Etter. The former Etowah standout played in just nine games last season for Georgia and failed to score any points with only one field goal attempt. At the beginning of this season, he struggled to find the court. But in the last five games, Etter has been a major contributor. Check out his minutes, points and field goals as of late.
Also...
- Toumani Camara added 15 points on Tuesday. It was his seventh game this season in which he has scored at least 15 points. Georgia is 6-1 in those seven games.
- Andrew Garcia had 13 points, three rebounds, and one assist. The former Stony Brook Seawolf reached a milestone for his career. He now has 502 career rebounds. He will probably have a few more milestones in the near future, as he has 990 career points and 99 career assists.
- K.D. Johnson wasn't spectacular on offense, but he still managed ten points. On defense, he did his part quite well, as he had four steals. It was the third game out of 11 in which he's had four steals. His 2.1 steals per game would lead the SEC if he played enough games to qualify.
- The last three wins the Bulldogs have had against ranked teams have all been against Tigers of various stripes. Georgia defeated Missouri this season, while the previous two were last season against Auburn and Memphis.
(cover photo courtesy of Georgia Sports Communications)
