Asa Newell collected 17 points and 10 rebounds, helping Georgia post a wire-to-wire 71-60 victory over South Carolina on Tuesday night in Southeastern Conference play in Athens, Ga.
Dakota Leffew added 14 points and Silas Demary Jr. chipped in 12 as Georgia (15-6, 3-5 SEC) snapped a four-game losing streak. Dylan James scored 10 points off the bench for the Bulldogs, who shot 51 percent from the field while holding South Carolina to a 41.2 percent clip.
South Carolina (10-11, 0-8) was led by Jamarii Thomas’ 19 points and Collin Murray-Boyles’ 18. The Gamecocks dropped their eighth straight game.
After leading by 14 at halftime, Georgia pushed its advantage to 37-21 on Leffew’s layup to begin the second half. A 10-4 run by South Carolina trimmed the visitors’ deficit to 41-31, with Thomas capping the burst with a 3-pointer at the 16:14 mark.
With 8:28 left, Newell’s hook shot put Georgia ahead 55-42, but a triple from Thomas again cut the Gamecocks’ deficit to 10 shortly after. From there, the Bulldogs pulled away with an 8-2 run — stamped by Blue Cain’s trey that gave Georgia a 63-47 lead at the 4:44 mark.
South Carolina cut Georgia’s lead to nine, 69-60, on Murray-Boyles’ hook shot with 31 seconds left before Leffew’s two free throws capped the game’s scoring.
Georgia jumped out to an 8-1 lead following consecutive 3-pointers from Demary and Leffew. After the Gamecocks answered with Morris Ugusuk’s midrange jumper, RJ Godfrey’s two free throws and back-to-back baskets by Newell extended the Bulldogs’ lead to 14-3 with 14:25 to go in the first half.
A 13-4 run pulled the Gamecocks within two, but Demary’s triple and six straight points from James pushed the Bulldogs’ advantage to 27-16.
Georgia led 35-21 at halftime after holding South Carolina to just two field goals in the final 10:52 of the first half.
–Field Level Media
