Free throw disparity and turnover margin doom Bulldogs in 94-82 loss to Davidson

Nov 21, 2013; Charleston, SC, USA; Georgia Bulldogs forward Cameron Forte (11) looks to shoot the ball while Davidson Wildcats forward Joe Aase (13) defends during the second half at TD Arena. Davidson defeated Georgia 94-82. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

A quick look at the box score of Georgia’s 94-82 loss to the Davidson Wildcats on Thursday evening would likely yield a “how did they lose that game?!” reaction.

For instance, the Bulldogs shot a blistering 55.8% from the field and 41.7% (5 for 12) from 3-point distance while holding Davidson to just 44.8% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. Throw in the fact that Mark Fox’s team is known for its defensive proficiency, and it becomes a shock to see 94 points on the scoreboard for Davidson, but however, it is pretty easily explainable.

Davidson got to the free throw line an absurd 41 times in a 40-minute game, making 34 of them (UGA made just 19) and that 15-point swing is fairly significant. Then, the Dawgs were able to force only 5 turnovers by the extremely disciplined Wildcats (who were virtually playing at home in Charleston), and while UGA committed a semi-respectable 16 on the game, that margin caused Davidson to be able to attempt 6 more shots in addition to the 15 extra free throws.

Charles Mann and Nemanja Djurisic (who came off the bench) led the way with 18 and 19 points, respectively, and Kenny Gaines was able to generate 13 points (including 9-10 FT) in just 15 minutes. The offensive surge does bode well for the future of this team who is famously known for the inability to generate offense, but in the end, it wasn’t enough to grab a win.

The Bulldogs will be in action on Friday against the Temple Owls, with a 7:00 PM tip-off in Charleston.