Let's get this out of the way up front: the Troy Trojans are not Kentucky or Gonzaga, quality teams left on the Bulldogs' schedule. But if you want to be in the running for a tournament bid come March you have to beat the bad teams too. The Dawgs didn't always do that last season, but they sure did on Friday night, downing the Troy Trojans 82-60 in Athens.
Mark Fox's team got out to a fast start and though they sputtered some offensively, played generally solid defense throughout and pulled away at the end (going up by 20 with just under 7 minutes remaining). Nema Djurisic and Marcus Thornton led Bulldog scorers with 17 points apiece, while Charles Mann chipped in 14 and Kenny Gaines got the start and responded with a dozen points. It was the second straight game in which four or more Hoop Hounds reached double figures. That type of offensive balance is never a bad thing.
Georgia also scratched out a rebounding advantage (44-33) for the first time this season. That led to some nice opportunities in transition, another thing that had been a bit lacking. The 'Dawgs will host Florida Atlantic on Sunday, looking to move to 3-1 on the young season. Troy doesn't have great size inside, and it showed tonight. But you can't take away from the Red and Black that they shot the ball well, rebounded it better, and moved the ball around quite well (including some nice screen work). It gets tougher from here, but for now the 'Dawgs are beating the guys in the different colored jerseys. Until later...
Go 'Dawgs!!!