Georgia Tops NC Central, 64-54
ATHENS, Ga. — Led by a strong defensive effort, the Georgia men’s basketball team defeated North Carolina Central 64-54 on Sunday afternoon before 5,699 spectators at Stegeman Coliseum.
Three Bulldogs (2-1) reached double figures in scoring on the night led by Jabri Abdur-Rahim with 13 points. The senior leads the team in points per game through three games at 16. Off the bench, Justin Hill scored 11 points and dished out four assists while Silas Demary Jr. had 10 points, four rebounds and a career-best four steals. As a team, Georgia outscored NC Central (1-2) in bench points by a 31-10 margin.
Georgia managed to race out to an early 11-point lead but a trio of 3-pointers from NC Central over the final two minutes of the opening frame to cut the deficit to 27-23 heading into the locker room. The Eagles opened the second half on a 9-2 run to take the lead, but the Bulldogs scored 10-straight points to regain the advantage at 42-34 at the under-12 media timeout. Georgia extended its lead to as many as 15 points after a late 8-0 run sparked by Hill’s third 3-pointer of the day to cap off the victory.
The Bulldogs’ next game will see them travel to Nassau, Bahamas for the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championships, wth Georgia set to take on No. 13 Miami (Fla.) on Nov. 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET. The CBS Sports Network will broadcast the two-game event, with the Bulldogs second contest coming against either Providence or Kansas State.
Five Fast Facts
• Jabri Abdur-Rahim has led the team in scoring in two out of the team’s three games this season after only doing so once in 32 games last season.
• Blue Cain set a new career-high in rebounding with seven boards, leading the team in the statistic for the first time in his career.
• Two of Silas Demary Jr.’s steals came on back-to-back possessions in the first 4:32 of the game, which directly led to four of his 10 points.
• Georgia shot a season-best 80 percent from the free throw line, sinking 20 of its 25 attempts.
• Jalen Deloach set a new season-high in points (8), assists (3), and minutes (20) and shot 4-for-4 from the field.
Key Quote
Head Coach Mike White: "Found a way. Found a way against a program that as a staff we have a lot of respect for in games over a long period of time. Coach Moton and his staff do a tremendous job. I thought they came in here and were really prepared. They dictated tempo. I thought they played incredibly hard and physical. Took the fight to us, and we are fortunate to come away with the 'W.'”