Georgia vs Florida preview: Bulldogs look to carry over success against Gators

The Georgia Bulldogs return home to Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday for a nationally televised matchup against the Florida Gators.

Georgia avoided an 0-3 start to conference play with a rare road win at Vanderbilt on Wednesday. The Bulldogs struggled to finish in close losses to Arkansas and LSU as turnovers and missed free throws proved costly. Georgia knocked down 7-8 free throw attempts in the final 30 seconds on Wednesday to preserve the victory. Kenny Gaines knocked down five three-pointers on his way to 17 points and the Bulldogs will be relying on him to produce more offense on Saturday.

The Bulldogs won despite being down two key players in Juwan Parker and freshman Yante Maten. Parker suffered an Achilles injury in the loss to LSU while Maten was out with a concussion that was suffered after he was struck by a car on campus. Mark Fox was unsure on Friday if either player would be cleared in time for Saturday's game.

Florida comes into Saturday's game with a 10-6 record and a perfect 3-0 mark in conference play. The Gators struggled a bit during the non-conference slate with several close losses but have earned wins over South Carolina, Mississippi State and Auburn in SEC play.

The Gators feature a balanced offensive attack with five different players averaging at least 7.7 points per game. Junior forward Dorian Finney-Smith leads the Gators at 14.4 per game and is shooting 51 percent from the field.

Tipoff for Saturday's game is scheduled for 2 p.m. and can be seen on CBS.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Saturday, January 17, 2:00 p.m. ET

Location: Stegeman Coliseum, Athens, Georgia

TV: CBS

Radio: Bulldogs Radio Network