Georgia started the season 0-4 in SEC play, but the Bulldogs have won five of their last seven conference games, including three SEC straight for the first time in the Tom Crean era. Here are some interesting tidbits in this edition of High Fives.
1 - Georgia shot 58.7 percent from the field in Saturday's win. The Bulldogs were even more impressive in the first half, when they shot 65.4 percent (17-for-26). The 58.7 percent was tied for the third-highest performance by the Dawgs under Tom Crean. If you look at Dawg hoops prior to Crean, the 58.7 was tied for the sixth-highest percentage in an SEC game in the 2000s. Check out this list:
2 - Georgia needed that high percentage, as the game's final margin was just three points. This season, the Bulldogs have fared well in the nail-biters. The Dawgs are 5-1 in games this season decided by six or fewer points (two possessions). The previous two seasons under Crean, Georgia was 6-12 in such games. Here is a season-by-season look at the six-points-or-fewer games for Crean.
3 - While Toumani Camara made the biggest play of the game with the blocked shot at the end, Sahvir Wheeler added 16 points on 8-for-10 field goals. Wheeler was his typical self and had nine assists. He has five double-doubles this season and twice this season he has fallen an assist short (one game, he had nine points and nine rebounds). Wheeler has 134 assists this season and is 35 away from the Georgia record for most assists in a season (Pertha Robinson in 1994-95). Wheeler's average of 7.4 is currently fourth in the nation as we speak.
4 - P.J. Horne was the top Dawg early on. Horne ended up with 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the field and 4-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc. He had 11 of his 14 points in the first 10:36 of the game. The Virginia Tech transfer has been hot as of late. Check out this comparison on how he has done over the last five games.
5 - Lastly, we mentioned Jaxon Etter in our last article. This time we're giving him his own graph, as he had career highs in multiple categories. Check out how the walk-on did on Saturday.
Also -
- Georgia outrebounded Vandy 31-23. The last time a Georgia opponent had that few rebounds was last season at Vanderbilt, when the Commodores had 20.
- Georgia led the game in points in the paint, 40 to 26.
- Georgia also led in bench points, 23 to 18.
- Tyron McMillan had his career-high with the Dawgs. scoring eight points on 2-for-3 shooting and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line. The Kilgore College transfer had just nine points total in the other eight SEC games he has played this season.
- Justin Kier had ten points (eight of them coming in the first half).
- K.D. Johnson had his fewest points with the Dawgs with three, but had three steals as well.
(cover photo courtesy of Georgia Sports Communications)
