Mike White details how Georgia responded to Notre Dame's late run

Georgia secured a big-time win over Notre Dame in Atlanta this past weekend as a part of Holiday Hoopsiving, defeating the Irish 77-62. The Bulldogs led by as many as 18 points, but their lead was cut to just three points with about eight minutes left in the game. Georgia responded with an impressive 11-0 run that would propel them to victory, which head coach Mike White detailed following the game.

“Mental toughness, responses to adversity, poise, swagger,” White said. “I thought we did a better job of staying in the moment, not getting rattled, next play mentality.”

The Bulldogs were led by center Braelen Bridges who had a monster night in the paint, scoring 18 points and not missing a single shot shooting 100% from the field. Bridges was a handful for the Irish to handle, but a three-pointer nailed by junior guard Justin Hill in response to a made Nate Laszewski three-pointer the possession before would ignite the spark that led to the Bulldogs’ dominant finish to the game.

“If I’m not mistaken Justin Hill stepped up and hit a huge shot for us and then I think we complimented that with a stop on the other end which led to a media (timeout), gathered ourselves, and finished really strong,” White said.

Hill also provided a steal and two assists during Georgia’s late 11-0, working on both ends of the floor on their way to a win. The Bulldogs’ win versus a premier program like Norte Dame was impressive, and hopefully they can keep that momentum going as they enter SEC play in the upcoming weeks.

Mike White shares how game with Notre Dame came about

Georgia will face off against Notre Dame this Sunday as a part of Holiday Hoopsiving in Atlanta Georgia. The Bulldogs first-year head coach Mike White has led the team to a 7-3 start, and will face an Irish squad with the same exact record this weekend. White has some connections to Notre Dame through his family, and was asked if that had any part in setting up this matchup.

“Really probably just first month on the job here, who’s available, whose got interest playing an event, playing in Atlanta, they happen to be one of the teams, that’s it,” White said.

White made it clear that he did not orchestrate the matchup, joking about facing long-time Fighting Irish head coach Mike Brey, who’s currently in his 23rd season with the team and sports a .647 winning percentage at the helm for Notre Dame.

“I’m not overly eager to play Mike Brey, I don’t know who is,” White laughed and said. “Just a program I have a ton of respect for.”

White’s father is Kevin White, who’s served as an athletic director for various schools like Tulane, Arizona State, Notre Dame, and Duke. He served as Notre Dame’s athletic director between 2000 and 2008, giving him a special connection with coach Brey.

“And obviously, my father hired Mike Brey, arguably his greatest hire of his incredible career. So it’ll be neat to see coach Bray and to compete against the Irish, it’s an honor for our program,” White said.