Georgia Bulldogs Come Up Short vs. Seton Hall, 69-62
By John Buhler
The Georgia Bulldogs struggled defending in the paint, but kept it close in their road game versus the Seton Hall Pirates, falling 69-62 Saturday night.
Saturday night’s game versus Seton Hall was a barometer game of sorts for the Georgia Bulldogs Men’s Basketball team. Both UGA and Seton Hall are teams contending for NCAA Tournament bids in major basketball conferences. UGA will likely round into form during SEC play, but fall to Seton Hall of the Big East, 69-62 Saturday night in Newark, New Jersey.
The Georgia Bulldogs’ 24 personal fouls and 13 turnovers game the Seton Hall Pirates ample opportunities at the free throw line (17-27). While the Pirates’ inconsistent shooting at the charity stripe helped keep UGA in this game, Georgia’s early foul trouble forced HC Mark Fox to constantly rotate in fresh bodies to prevent his players from fouling out. It was ultimately detrimental to the interior defense, as UGA had no answer in the paint defensively.
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Even in this tough road defeat, there were some positive takeaways for the Dawgs, particularly on the offensive end of the floor. F Yante Maten led the team with 21 points on 6 of 11 shooting, making 9 of his 11 free throw attempts, and corralling 8 rebounds. His game was the most impressive for the Georgia Bulldogs as he had many good-looking shots from mid-range. UGA will need Maten to continue to grow if they want to contend in 2015-16.
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F Kenny Paul Geno had his best game this season with 13 points and 5 rebounds. He was perfect from the field (4-4) and flawless from three-point land (3-3). The free throw shooting (2-4), not so much. Geno has had to do a ton for the Georgia Bulldogs this season as UGA’s other primary wing Junior Juwan Parker has yet to play due to injury. He’s done well all things considered.
Lastly, SG Kenny Gaines had another strong game for the Georgia Bulldogs. Gaines is the go-to player on offense, with 13 points on 5-10 shooting. His three-point stroke dips slightly under 50% on the season by shooting 3-7 at Seton Hall.
Overall, this would have been a nice game for the Georgia Bulldogs to win on the road. However, it makes sense for the Dawgs to split their home-and-home series with a major program like the Pirates. It’s early, but Seton Hall moves to 5-1 and has already between two quality SEC teams in UGA and Ole Miss. If the Pirates can improve in Big East play, they might end their 10-year NCAA Tournament drought in 2016.
Next: Kenny Gaines: Three-Point Stroke Sustainable?
Georgia will have a couple of days off before heading back home to take on the 3-2 Oakland Golden Grizzlies at Stegeman Coliseum. Tipoff is at 7:00 PM ET Tuesday night and the game will air on SECN+. Better luck on Tuesday. Go Dawgs!