A poor second half cost Georgia the chance for a signature win in a 79-65 loss to Auburn.
The Bulldogs came out of the gate well and put up one of their best halves of the season over the first 20 minutes. Controlling the pace of the game was a big key to the game and Georgia was able to do that early on.
With Mustapha Heron hampered by early foul trouble, the Bulldogs were able to slow things down and force the Tigers into some difficult shots. They dominated the paint and executed offensively at the other end.
Juwan Parker’s three-pointer with 1:45 remaining in the half put the Bulldogs up 40-24. Auburn would convert a pair of free throws at the end of the half to cut the deficit to 40-26 but the Bulldogs had to have headed into the locker room feeling pretty good about what they were able to accomplish.
However, the tide changed in a hurry and once the Tigers had the momentum, Georgia was powerless to stop it.
Heron knocked down a three-pointer on Auburn’s first possession of the second half. The Bulldogs turned it over on their next possession which in many ways sums up the second half.
A simple switch to a 1-3-1 zone defense ground Georgia’s offense to a halt. The ball movement that they exhibited so freely in the first half became non-existent and was replaced with forced one-on-one opportunities. The results was missed shots and turnovers which the Tigers used to their advantage to push the pace.
Heron exploded along the baseline for a thunderous dunk at the 13:49 mark which gave Auburn the lead. Five minutes later the Tigers led 57-44. At that point the Bulldogs had been outscored 21-4 in the second half. Georgia’s first field goal of the second half came with 6:45 remaining as Turtle Jackson converted a layup to cut the deficit to 59-47. In all the Bulldogs went more than 15 minutes without a made field goal dating back to the final moments of the first half.
Georgia closed to within 64-59 with a Parker three with just over four minutes remaining but Auburn answered with an 11-0 run to slam the door shut.
Yante Maten led the Bulldogs with 17 points and nine rebounds. Parker added 16 with 13 coming in the first half. Rayshaun Hammonds added 10 off the bench.
Bryce Brown exploted in the second half and scored a game-high 28 points including five three-pointers. Heron added 14 while Jared Harper finished with 13 and six assists.
Georgia has now lost three of its last four and is a one-point win at LSU away from having a four-game losing streak. They will try to get back on track Tuesday night when they return home to face Arkansas.