It did not matter that their opponent was North Carolina A&T, a middling team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference; the Georgia Bulldogs simply wanted a win, and they got it. Georgia shot past the Aggies at Stegeman Coliseum on Sunday, 98-68.
“I certainly believe all of our players wanted badly to get back on the court and do something to get that bad taste out of our mouths after that last outing,” said Georgia head coach Dennis Felton, whose team was coming off of a stunning loss at the buzzer to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi this past Monday. “That was probably one of the toughest things about that loss is that we had to wait so long to play again.”
With the help of the 3-point shot, the Bulldogs put last Monday’s game behind them. Nearly half of their made shots for the game were 3s, as Georgia shot 17-of-35 from behind the arc. In the first half, they shot 10-of-18 from behind the arc to jump out to a 51-27 halftime lead. Trey Thompkins was a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-land in the opening half. “We’ve been getting in the gym before and after practice until the lights turn off and we’ve been getting up shots,” Thompkins said. “It’s starting to show that we’re getting better and we’re becoming more dedicated.”
A rare 3 from Jeremy Price that he banked in and a Corey Butler 3 that swished through the nets as the half ended punctuated Georgia’s hot shooting. For the game, the Bulldogs shot 53 percent from the field (35-66). Thompkins led Georgia with 22 points. “We’ve been talking about him asserting himself more and being more of an offensive threat when he catches [the ball], whether it’s scoring or playmaking,” Felton said. “He’s coming along. I felt like he had two really good days of practice leading into this, where he was finding his groove and looking more like the Trey Thompkins we know is there.”
“I’m starting to get more comfortable offensively,” Thompkins said, who also added 12 rebounds. “I’m going to start using more of my abilities. Anything coach needs me to do, I’m going to do it.”
Butler finished with 19 points, as he added four 3s in the second half. He also stuffed the stat sheet with nine rebounds and seven assists. “With the [graduation] of Sundiata Gaines, I just tried to step in and contribute in any area where I think we need a little more help,” Butler said. “I just tried to rebound a little bit more and share the ball a little bit more.”
Price added 15 points for the Bulldogs, who played their third consecutive game without Terrance Woodbury. Woodbury is still recovering from a preexisting ankle injury that he aggravated and Felton does not know when the senior captain will return to action. “That’s really difficult for me to answer,” Felton said. “Our medical team didn’t think he would miss one game and certainly didn’t think we would still be sitting here and him not ready to play. We’re just taking it day-by-day and very hopeful that he can get back as soon as possible because he’s critically important to us.”
Georgia improved to 7-1 at home with the loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi as its only blemish. The game with the Islanders was the Bulldogs’ second straight that ended on a buzzer-beating shot in overtime, after Georgia beat Wofford in similar fashion. This game, however, would not be in doubt in the final minutes, as the Bulldogs did not allow the Aggies to threaten. “It’s a confidence booster,” Thompkins said. “It lets us know that we can play 40 minutes of our basketball.”
North Carolina A&T fell to 5-7, with all seven losses having come on the road. The closest the Aggies have come in those contests was a seven-point loss at Evansville. Dwane Joshua led the Aggies with 17 points. The Bulldogs continue their six-game home stand with a New Year’s Eve date with Kennesaw State on Wednesday. The tip time is slated for 4 p.m. Afterwards, Georgia wraps up the succession of home games when Missouri visits Athens on Saturday.
Butler can be reached at jbutler@scoreatl.com.
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