Arkansas never led and dropped second consecutive SEC basketball game with a 76-66 loss Wednesday night at Georgia.
The Bulldogs (12-3, 2-0 SEC) won their 10th consecutive game. It is the fourth-longest win streak in program history and longest since the 1946-47 season.
“Coming in we felt like we were the better team and we played like it,” Georgia guard Justin Hill said on the Bulldogs’ post-game radio show. “Hats off to Arkansas, they’re a really good team, too, but we got the job done tonight.”
Georgia led by as many as 13 points in the first half and 34-24 at halftime. The Bulldogs held off a second-half surge until the Razorbacks (9-6, 0-2) went cold in the closing minutes.
Arkansas guard Tramon Mark made a pair of free throws to pull within 62-59 with 5:02 remaining. Georgia responded with a 5-0 run to go ahead 67-59 and was never threatened again.
The Razorbacks missed 8 of their final 9 attempts and did not make any shots after Trevon Brazile’s acrobatic second-chance dunk with 2:45 remaining. Their final four points came at the free-throw line.
“We’ve got to make shots,” Arkansas coach Eric Musselman told Razorback Sports Network after the game. “I mean, the opposing teams, their shooters are making shots. We have to make open jump shots just like SEC shooters are doing against us.”
The teams shot nearly identical from the floor — Arkansas was 24 of 60 and Georgia was 25 of 60 — but the Bulldogs were better from distance. Georgia made 9 of 27 three-point attempts, while the Razorbacks went 3 of 21.
“We’re obviously not the defensive team we’ve been over the last four years,” Musselman said. “We’re not guarding the ball like we have. We’re certainly not guarding the three-point shot.
“If your overall team defense is not up to what it’s been in the past, then your offense should be better. I mean, 3 of 21 [from three], we had a bunch of defenders in the past that could go 3 for 21.”
Both teams shot 22 free throws and combined for 43 fouls. The Bulldogs edged the Razorbacks 17-15 at the line.
Arkansas hurt itself with poor ball handling. The Bulldogs converted 15 turnovers into 25 points, including 14 points on 9 turnovers before halftime.
“We did a really bad job taking care of the basketball in the first half,” Musselman said, “and the second half took a little bit better care of the basketball.”
Georgia took control of the game with a 12-0 run late in the first half to go ahead 28-15. Five Bulldogs scored during the run, which included threes from Noah Thomasson and Hill.
Hill’s 19 points led Georgia. Thomasson added 15 and RJ Melendez scored 10.
Mark led Arkansas with 24 points, but no other Razorback scored in double figures. Brazile and Jalen Graham scored nine points apiece.
Mark tied Makhi Mitchell for the team lead with 3 blocks, and also had 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists in a solid all-around performance.
“He was phenomenal,” Musselman said.
After being dominated in the paint during a 32-point loss to Auburn last weekend, Arkansas fared better down low against Georgia. The Razorbacks were out-rebounded 40-39, outscored the Bulldogs 34-26 in the paint and blocked 7 shots.
Georgia defeated Arkansas for the first time since February 2020. Since that time, the Razorbacks won the meetings between the teams by 32, 26 and 30 points.
Arkansas is scheduled to play at Florida on Saturday at 4 p.m. Central.
