Georgia’s a basketball school ─ at least for today.
The Bulldogs defeated No. 10 Kentucky 77-70 today in a game it led nearly the entire way. Forward Trey Thompkins had 25 in the win to lead all scorers.
“We expect to play (well) against teams like Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida,” said Thompkins after the game. “We feel like we’re just as good as they are and its always going to be a dogfight.”
Georgia took a 7-0 lead right off the bat and led by 1 at the half. However, the proud Wildcats climbed back into the game in the early moments of the second half and eventually took their first lead at 56-55 with 10:05 remaining on a Terrence Jones jumper.
But it was Georgia’s day. The Dawgs stormed back with a 12-3 run to grab a commanding 67-59 lead with 2:23 left after a Thompkins free throw.
A crucial Thompkins jump hook had given Georgia a 66-59 edge and essentially the game just seconds before his free throw.
“It was a called play and a big basket,” said Georgia coach Mark Fox. “We were going in right there.”
Thompkins appreciated his number being called in that situation.
“Coach Fox drew that play up,” he said. “He’s a mastermind. He knows what to call and when to call it.”
In addition to his game-high point total, Thompkins pulled down seven rebounds and had two blocks. Point guard Gerald Robinson added 17 points while Travis Leslie had 15 to go along with eight rebounds. Dustin Ware also got into double figures for Georgia with 10 points.
The Wildcats were led by Terrence Jones, who had 24 points and 10 boards.
Georgia improved to 12-2 (1-0) on the season and more importantly, began its season 1-0 in SEC play with a win over the East favorite Wildcats. It was also the Bulldogs’ third win in six games against the Big Blue, who has traditionally dominated Georgia and the rest of the conference. Kentucky now holds a 110-25 edge in the all-time series.
The Dawgs will now move on to play at Vanderbilt on Wednesday night, a place where Georgia has traditionally struggled.
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