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Georgia thumps Kentucky 82-69 for first SEC victory

On3 imageby:Jake Rowe•about 23 hours•

JakeMRowe

Blue cain Georgia
Jan 7, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard Blue Cain (0) shoots against Kentucky Wildcats guard Jaxson Robinson (2) during the first half at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia basketball’s SEC opener didn’t go as well as it would have liked over the weekend as the Bulldogs picked up their second loss of the season. The SEC home opener, however, is a different story. UGA took down No. 6 Kentucky in front of a sold out Stegeman Coliseum on Tuesday by a score of 82-69.

The Bulldogs move to 13-2 on the season and 1-1 in the conference. Kentucky falls to 12-3 on the year and 1-1 in the SEC after it took down Florida last weekend.

The upset required a special effort from star freshman Asa Newell, who had a team high 17 points and seven rebounds. The second half is where he really shined as the former five-star prospect poured in 12 of those points and snatched six of those rebounds during the final 20 minutes.

Blue Cain paced the Bulldogs in the first half, picking up 10 points and hitting a par of shots from downtown. The sophomore also pulled down eight rebounds in the game and was one of three Georgia guards to reach double figures. Silas Demary and hit eight of eight shots from the free throw line had 14 points and Dakota Leffew had 11 while making six of seven from the line.

It was all Kentucky the early going as Georgia struggled to get a shot up in its first few possessions. Cain opened the scoring with a three ball and the two teams traded blows for the next 10-plus minutes of game clock.

The Bulldogs made their move in the final few minutes of the half, getting three balls from Cain and Demary to help spark a run that would build them a 10 point lead in the final minute of the half. That’s when Newell sunk a buzzer beater from downtown to put stake the Bulldogs to a 47-34 lead at the break.

Kentucky was the aggressor early in the second half, too, cutting Georgia’s lead to just five points with 12:07 left in the game. That’s as close as the Wildcats would get as Georgia, due to some scrappy play on the offensive glass from RJ Godfrey, scored four straight points from the line before Kentucky got to possess the ball again.

Leffew made the first two of three from the line but missed the third. It was rebounded by Godfrey who was fouled in the act and hit both of his tries from the line. That put the Bulldogs back up by nine and they held the Cats at arm’s length the rest of the way to secure a Q1 win.

It was another cold night from three for the Bulldogs, who just 7 of 24 from downtown and just 2 of 12 in the second half. Georgia shot just under 42 percent as a team and made over 76 percent of its 38 free throw opportunities. Kentucky went to the line 19 times.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Bulldogs as they host No. 17 Oklahoma at The Steg on Saturday. Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

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