Georgia falls against Florida in SEC Tournament Second Round

NASHVILLE – Despite a highly contested second half coming down to the wire, the Georgia men’s basketball team closed out its season after an 85-80 loss against Florida in the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament second round at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday.

Noah Thomasson and Silas Demary Jr. both led the Bulldogs (17-16, 6-12 SEC) in scoring, each posting near identical stat lines with 14 points, four rebounds and three assists on the night. RJ Melendez and Justin Hill both followed closely with 13 points each, with Melendez knocking down three 3-pointers against the Gators (22-10, 11-7 SEC). Jalen DeLoach led Georgia on the glass with five rebounds paired with five points while four other Bulldogs cleaned up four boards each on the night.

Georgia spread the ball around early offensively as its first five field goals of the game came from five different players. Trailing 21-12 nearing the midway point of the period, the Bulldogs got hot from the field as they sparked an 18-3 run to lead 30-24 at under-4 timeout. Both sides went back-and-forth in the final stages of the half as Georgia took a 37-34 lead heading into the locker room.

The Bulldogs stretched out to a 46-39 lead early in the second half, but a 7-0 run by the Gators leveled the score before Florida jumped out in front to lead 66-60 at the under-8 break. A 10-2 Georgia run forced a 68-68 tally with just over five minutes left in the game, but the Gators pushed out in front once again late in the final minutes of play. The Bulldogs pulled the deficit to within a one possession game several times in the last minute, but it was too late as Georgia fell at triple zeros, ending its season.

Five Fast Facts
• The Bulldogs had four players score in double figures: Thomasson (14), Demary Jr. (14), Melendez (13) and Hill (13).
• Noah Thomasson scored in double figures for the fourth consecutive game (14), having done so in 12 of his last 15 outings.
• RJ Melendez knocked down three or more 3-point field goals in a game for only the second time this season (6, at Florida 2024)
• Jalen DeLoach led the Bulldogs in rebounds in a game (5) for the fourth time this season.
• Georgia outscored Florida on bench scoring by double, 36-18 on the night.

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