Dawgs Close Out UAB 66-64

Who gets the game ball for the Georgia Bulldogs (5-2) in their win over UAB (6-2) on Friday night – Colby Pohlmann or Gerald Robinson?  Pohlmann was the UGA trainer responsible for getting GR2 back to the locker room for an apparent IV to treat Robinson’s apparent cramping legs with 2:09 left in the game.

Robinson returned to the game with 1:02 remaining, which was amazing considering he looked as though he could barely walk just minutes before that.  Even more amazing was the fact that he drove and scored on a beautiful lay-up on the Dawgs’ most critical possession, putting his team up 64-61 with only 14 ticks left.  Next, GR2 proceeded to secure the rebound following a UAB three-point attempt, and then knocked down two free-throws to put Georgia up 66-61 and essentially seal the game.

So I guess GR2 (13 points and 5 assists) deserves most of the credit for securing the Dawgs win, but I just felt like Pohlmann’s efforts shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Mark Fox’s team came out Friday night hitting on all cylinders on both offense and defense, building up a 16-4 lead on 8 of 12 shooting from the field in the game’s first six minutes.  There was also a noticeable difference in the Dawgs‘ defensive effort, as Georgia stymied UAB with its man pressure.

Georgia built up a 43-32 lead as the team’s went into the break, but once again came out flat to start the second half, and in less than three minutes UAB only trailed Georgia 45-42 following a 10-2 run.  Is it possible that this Georgia team prefers close finishes?

The main source of frustration in the second half was the Dawgs‘ inability to secure defensive rebounds.  Georgia won the rebounding battle on Friday night 37-27, but UAB did grab 11 of their 16 offensive rebounds in the game’s second half.  The Blazers finished the game with 18 second-chance points, 14 of which came in the second half – these second-chance points really kept UAB in the game.

Georgia road their big men in this one, getting 34 of their 66 total points from Trey Thompkins and Jeremy Price.  Thompkins looked a lot more like his old self, hitting outside shots and turnaround jumpers – he finished with 20 points and 9 boards including a big basket with 1:55 left to give his Georgia team a 60-59 lead (a lead that they would not relinquish).

There was a very scary moment near the end of the game where Thompkins hit floor very hard following a defensive stand, but after the game Trey said, ““I just landed on my hip.  I’ll be alright.”

Thank goodness!

This was one of Price’s better games offensively, as he finished with 14 points on 6 of 11 field goals.  Price used a variety of up-and-under post moves along with his size advantage to dominate the UAB bigs inside.  He also knocked down a pair of ultra-clutch free throws to put the Dawgs up 62-59 with 1:06 remaining.

The Dawgs’ bench was also a nice source of production for Coach Fox on Friday, outscoring UAB’s bench 13-3.  Sophomore transfer guard Sherrard Brantley scored 8 points in just 14 minutes of play, including a pair of three-pointers.

Georgia shot the ball much better on Friday night, hitting 50% from the field and knocking down 7 of 9 from the charity stripe.

On a personal level, I’m glad that Georgia doesn’t have to go up against UAB point guard Aaron Johnson ever again – he was tough.  Johnson, who is unbelievably quick, was able to penetrate into the lane on nearly every possession – he finished with 14 points and 3 assists.

UAB forward Cameron Moore led the Blazers with 20 points, and guard Jamarr Sanders added 16.

And a reminder that there are still tickets available for the Georgia Tech game next Tuesday night – it would be cool to have a lot of Dawgs’ fans in the stands of Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

Back to the UAB game – what did everybody think?