ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Georgia men’s basketball team closed out the regular season with an 89-79 loss to No. 8 Alabama on Saturday afternoon at a sold-out, socially-distanced Stegeman Coliseum crowd of 1,638.
Sophomore Sahvir Wheeler led Georgia in scoring, tallying his seventh double-double of his career with 18 points and 10 assists. Freshman K.D. Johnson had his 11th double-figure game of his collegiate career with 16. For the 12th time this season, sophomore Toumani Camara had 13 points, the 27th double-digit output in his last 40 games dating back to last season.
“We self-inflicted a few things with our missed free-throws, with our not guarding the ball as well,” Georgia head coach Tom Crean said. “We didn’t get the guard rebounds that we needed to get in a game like this. We competed heavily. We followed the game plan. We got better this week. We were bringing that to life. That 15-2 run hurt us, obviously, in the second half, but it never felt like we wouldn’t come back from it either. The margin for error, with our lack of size and sometimes our lack of shooting, is always going to be tough, and it’s always going to get lower when you’re playing against a team like that. There were many times that we were doing exactly what we had prepared for, could do, and wanted to do.”
With strong defensive efforts from both teams, the first two minutes of the contest remained scoreless. Alabama’s John Petty Jr. put up the first points of the game. Junior Tye Fagan and Camara broke the dry spell with back-to-back layups. Graduate P.J. Horne drained a three to hand the Bulldogs their first advantage. A jam from Johnson followed, putting Georgia up 9-5.
The Bulldogs heated up the half with points from sophomore Jaxon Etter and Camara, opening up a 9-0 run and 14-point Georgia lead. The Crimson Tide narrowed the score slightly before the Bulldogs stretched their lead back to double-digits. Alabama responded, scoring the last six points of the half, sending Georgia to the locker room with a 36-30 lead.
Alabama started back with nine unanswered points, taking back its first lead since the 15-minute mark of the first half. Johnson connected a pair of critical 3-pointers closing the Alabama advantage to three.
While the Crimson Tide was able to climb to a 10-point lead, the Bulldogs were able to stay within striking distance as multiple players tallied double-digit performances. Leading into the final minute of the contest, a key 5-0 Bulldog run Crimson Tide lead narrowed to three. Georgia attempted one last comeback effort in the final seconds, but Alabama sealed the game with a 7-0 run.
“I appreciate the fans, the students the way they came,” Crean added. “I wanted it for these students too, with the year that everyone has had. It hits close to home in so many areas with the Georgia students being so limited in being able to come in. I was really appreciative of Josh Brooks doing this and President Morehead supporting it, and the work John Bateman did. I appreciate all of that. It was a tremendous atmosphere, but we just have to continue to control the things that we can control.”
Up next, Georgia travels to the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. to start play at the 2021 SEC Tournament. The Bulldogs will be the No. 10 seed, slated to play on Thursday, at 7 p.m. ET against the No. 7 seed Missouri, on SEC Network.
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