As tempting as it is, and as accurate as it would be, to break out this style of analysis, I said I'd be a good sport and I don't want anyone else questioning my honesty or my credibility, so I will simply say this:
Georgia came into Wednesday night's game with a 2-6 conference mark and an overall record one game below .500, as did Auburn. This should have been a winnable game for the Hoop Dogs, but the Red and Black simply were never in it.
The Plainsmen took 91 shots from the field to the Bulldogs' 68, making 28 two-pointers to Georgia's 19 and sinking eight three-pointers to the visitors' five. The Red and Black's 80 per cent free throw shooting (20 of 25) could not make up for the fact that the Hoop Dogs surrendered 17 points off of 19 turnovers and grabbed just a dozen offensive rebounds.
The Fox Hounds have not posted back-to-back victories since beating Florida Atlantic and Pepperdine in late December. Since moving to Athens, Mark Fox has not known the experience of winning a game outside the borders of the state he now calls home. In SEC play, though, the road setbacks typically have been competitive . . . until tonight.
The few wins Georgia can claim look pretty good, but triumphs have been few and far between for the Bulldogs. Until that changes, nothing has changed. Narrow losses to quality teams may serve as sources of hope for the downtrodden, but there is no silver lining to being rode hard and put up wet against an Auburn outfit that was supposed to present one of the lesser challenges remaining on the Classic City Canines' slate. When you're awful, no one is a lesser challenge.
This program hasn't turned a corner. It hasn't even gotten up off the mat, unless you count rising punch-drunk from the canvas on wobbly knees in order to absorb a knockout blow. I, for one, do not.
Go 'Dawgs!