Free throw shooting sinks Georgia Bulldogs in 73-65 loss to Nebraska Cornhuskers

Nov 24, 2013; Charleston, SC, USA; Georgia Bulldogs forward Brandon Morris (31) gets fouled by Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Leslee Smith (21) during the first half at TD Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

On a day where the Georgia Bulldogs played virtually dead even with the favored Nebraska Cornhuskers, the free throw line utterly betrayed them in what ended in a 73-65 defeat.

As a team, the Dawgs shot just 16 for 30 (53.3%) from the free throw line in the game, and while that is bad enough on its own, it becomes markedly worse when the opponent shoots 22 for 27 (81.5%), as the Huskers did in this spot. If you’re doing the math at home, that 6-point differential was quite crucial in the final, 8-point margin of victory, and while it wasn’t the entire reason for the loss, it was certainly a deciding factor.

Charles Mann (16 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds), Brandon Morris (14 points, 4 rebounds), and Marcus Thornton (13 points, 5 rebounds) all scored in double-figures for the Bulldogs, but with the exception of Morris and his satisfactory 6-for-8 showing at the charity stripe, the foul line cost them all dearly. Donte Williams was the other standout on this day for UGA, as he was able to grab 12 rebounds in just 24 minutes, but that performance only brought the team within 1 of Nebraska in the overall rebounding tally.

Defensively, it was a fairly encouraging performance. It is always good to hold a legitimate, major conference opponent under 75 points, and Nebraska managed only 44.2% from the field overall. Both teams took care of the ball in a careful way with 7 turnovers, but the execution of the Huskers was the difference in this one.

On paper, this isn’t a bad loss for Mark Fox and company, given that Nebraska was favored in the game and is expected to be overly competitive in a loaded Big 10 this season. However, losing all 3 games in Charleston was not what was expected of the team, and that is sure to leave a sour taste in the mouths of Bulldog fans until the team hosts Appalachian State on Friday afternoon.