Georgia’s final game before taking 10 days off for final exams didn't prove to be much of a test for the Bulldogs, who rolled past visiting North Carolina Central Wednesday, 95-59.
Anthony Edwards and Rayshaun Hammonds were the two biggest offensive stars.
Edwards led the way with 21 points, followed by Hammonds with 19 and Tyree Crump chipping in with 16, and freshman Christian Brown with 11.
Nineteen of Edwards' points came in the first half, two days after telling the media he had to start getting off to better starts than he recently has.
"I always tell that to Rayshaun and Anthony, because they're the top two guys, the top leading scorers," Crump said. " I tell them, we feed through y'all; when ya'll get going, we get going."
After the game, head coach Tom Crean revealed that Edwards played the game despite a lower body injury that limited his practice on Tuesday.
"That was a big step, because that's something he's got to do," head coach Tom Crean said of Edwards' fast start. "We're trying to do different things with him all the time. We're trying to increase his versatility in so many different ways, put him in different spots. As young and talented as he is, there is is so much room for growth, and the main guy that knows it is him."
Jibri Blount scored 19 points to lead the Eagles, with C.J. Keyser the only other North Carolina Central player in double figures with 16.
The Bulldogs dominated the Eagles on the boards, 54-25, including a 22-13 edge on the offensive end.
"That's something we work on in practice; that's one of the top things we do," Hammonds said. "With offensive rebounds, you're keeping possessions alive. When we do that, it can be pretty hard to guard us, because everybody can get out, and you've got to chase some three-pointers; that's the main thing."
Georgia (6-2) led 50-35 at the half, with Edwards accounting for much of the damage with 19 points, including a trio of three-pointers.
Neither team got off to a particularly good start. The Eagles (2-6) led 9-8 early, thanks largely to five turnovers by Georgia over the first 4:51.
But just like that, the Bulldogs found their groove, with Edwards accounting for seven points in a 13-0 run to put Georgia up 21-9.
The lead would only grow.
Georgia led by as many as 21 points before the Eagles of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference drew within 15 at the half, with Keyser and Blount leading the way with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
"Our players, for the week they had, for them to bear down after leading the way we were in the first half—with them getting it down to 15—we answered the bell in the second half," Crean said. "I'm proud of the way our guys played; there's tons of room for improvement, but to come from Maui to have the practices, to get their body clock back, was impressive."
The Bulldogs will now have 10 days off for final exams before their next game, Dec. 14 at Arizona State. North Carolina-Central travels to Charleston Southern on Saturday.
