Five things we learned from Georgia's loss to Kentucky

So close, but not meant to be for Georgia on Saturday as it fell to Kentucky by a narrow 82-77 margin.

It was a back-and-forth contest which was full of intrigue, but the Wildcats were able to make a few final plays in order to claim the victory and hand Georgia its second heartbreaking loss against Kentucky this season.

With four games remaining on the regular season slate, here are five things we learned from this latest match-up.

1) Maten hurt, others step in – It was not a pretty sight for Georgia’s leading scorer on Saturday. Ninety-five seconds into action, junior forward Yante Maten’s knee was hit by Kentucky guard Isaiah Briscoe after coming back down from a layup. Maten’s knee underwent a motion which was similar to a hyperextension, and did not return for the remaining 38 minutes of game-play after suffering the injury. Georgia was faced with trying to find frontcourt production and it did so with performances by sophomores Derek Ogbeide and Mike Edwards. The tandem took a bulk of the minutes and combined for 14 points and 14 rebounds.

After Georgia head coach Mark Fox looked distraught on the injury in his postgame press conference and deemed Maten’s injury to be “serious,” that may not be the case. On Sunday, Georgia released a diagnosis of a sprained knee and added that surgery would not be necessary. However, he is out indefinitely and no timetable has been given for his return.

2) Kentucky dominates Georgia in rebounding – There are many statistics that were extremely close between the two teams, including the ultimate number which was a five-point defeat for the Bulldogs. One area that showed drastic separation was rebounding, and it was one reason why Kentucky was able to claim the victory. With Maten – who averages 6.9 rebounds per game and has come close to collecting numerous double-digit totals - sidelined for a majority of the game, it showed the most in this statistic. Kentucky outrebounded Georgia 41-26, and scored eight second-chance points as a result of 14 offensive rebounds, compared to only two for the Bulldogs. The Wildcats were led in rebounding by reserve forward Derek Willis, who finished with 12.

3) Frazier has career night despite loss – Georgia’s defeat was not due to any lack of performance by senior point guard J.J. Frazier. In potentially his final game against the SEC power Kentucky, he showed a determination to win such a key game. In 35 minutes of action, Frazier scored 36 points – the second-highest total of his career, and the highest total from a player against Kentucky since Elston Turner’s 40 in 2013 with Texas A&M – and his night was highlighted by numerous circus-type shots and a deep 3-pointer to beat the buzzer prior to intermission. After the defeat, Frazier said that while disappointed, he was OK with the loss because he and his teammates gave the best effort possible.

4) Fox and Monk perform at free-throw stripe down the stretch – For a majority of game action, it looked as if Kentucky’s two freshmen guards – De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk – were having off nights, but they showed their skill sets in the final minutes of the game in order to give their team a victory. With 7:15 remaining in regulation and Georgia holding a two-point lead, Fox missed two free throws and the Georgia fans in Stegeman Coliseum were raucous as they were trying to rattle Fox and they could sense a potential victory. From then on, Fox made eight consecutive free throws and his late performances at the stripe were integral in Kentucky squeaking out the victory, and his head coach John Calipari credited those efforts after the game.

Monk’s performance was nearly a carbon copy as he missed two from the stripe with 15:09 remaining and made his remaining six free throws. The efforts by Kentucky nearly resemble the last time it came to Stegeman Coliseum. Georgia had a lead and was close to claiming a significant victory, but fatigue and a free-throw discrepancy showed in the final minutes in order for the Wildcats to pull out the victory.

5) Jordan Harris doesn’t see the floor, Crump given little opportunity – Georgia’s freshmen guards were looking for action once more on Saturday. Tyree Crump played only three minutes, after providing an offensive spark just a week ago at Tennessee with 13 points in 16 minutes. Mark Fox has indicated on numerous occasions that Crump’s defense is still a work in progress, thus the move to minimize his minutes makes sense against a strong offensive club such as Kentucky.

The move that raises a few more eyebrows however, is the decision to not play Harris. Once a starter, Harris was completely sidelined from the action for only the second time this year – the first being Georgia’s season-opening loss to Clemson. To make up for his lack of minutes, Turtle Jackson saw 16 minutes while Juwan Parker saw his usual workload of 29 minutes.