J.J. Frazier leads Dawgs past Jackets, 75-61

J.J. Frazier‘s 35 points against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were enough to lead the Georgia Bulldogs to their first win over Tech in four years, 75-61.

The Georgia Bulldogs were able to secure their first win over in-state rival Georgia Tech since 2010, by defeating the Yellow Jackets, 75-61 Saturday afternoon. While none of Georgia’s three losses (Chattanooga, Seton Hall, Kansas State) were bad by any means, the 2015-16 hoops team needed a signature win in the non-conference and may have gotten it with their victory over then 7-2 Georgia Tech.

52 of the Georgia Bulldogs’ 75 points on Saturday afternoon came from junior guard J.J. Frazier and sophomore power forward Yante Maten. Frazier went off on Tech with 35 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds. He shot a strong 9-14 from the field, a blistering 6-9 from three-point land, and a fantastic 11-12 from the free throw line.

J.J Fraizer gave it all in this game, having to exit with seconds remaining in the second half because of an obvious calf cramp. He was sensational Saturday afternoon at Stegeman Coliseum.

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Yante Maten continues to prove that he is one of the most improved players in the country during his sophomore campaign. Maten had 17 points, 4 blocks, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. He shot well from the field (8-11), but surprisingly left some points at the free throw line (1-4).

The Georgia Bulldogs out shot Georgia Tech from the floor and from three-point land Saturday afternoon. Combine that with competitive rebounding and some late fouls and that is what ended up creating the 14-point difference in the final score.

Georgia did well against Brian Gregory’s high-octane offense on Saturday, limiting the Jackets to only 61 points in the rivalry game. This win for the Georgia Bulldogs shot boost the Dawgs’ RPI up from 64th entering Saturday’s game.

The Dawgs will have the next two days off before hosting the Clemson Tigers Tuesday night at Stegeman Coliseum. Tipoff for that game with 5-3 Georgia and 7-4 Clemson will occur at 6:00 PM ET and the game will again air on the SEC Network.

Saturday’s win over Georgia Tech showed Dawg Nation that UGA can hang with good teams again in 2015-16. If UGA can get J.J. Frazier to play anywhere close to this level offensively going forward, this will be a difficult team for opponents to guard. Yante Maten is becoming a key cog inside.

Next: J.J. Frazier settling into sixth man role nicely

The back court of Frazier, Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann allows head coach Mark Fox to get creative in lineup construction. If the Dawgs continue to battle on the boards and limit turnovers, it will be hard to beat Georgia at home this season. Go Dawgs!