Georgia and Texas, both squarely on the bubble, hope to increase their NCAA Tournament chances when they square off Saturday in what amounts to a must-win Southeastern Conference game in Austin, Texas.
Neither team can afford to lose, especially with the regular season entering its final eight days and opportunities running out to make an impression on the selection committee.
At least the Bulldogs (17-11, 5-10 SEC) can try to build on their biggest win of the season — Tuesday’s 88-83 home victory over No. 3 Florida. Silas Demary Jr. scored 21 points and canned four 3-pointers while Asa Newell added 15 points and nine rebounds and Tyrin Lawrence had 14 points off the bench.
Georgia rushed to a 26-point lead, gave it all back and then closed the game with a 10-3 run. The win was the Bulldogs’ third over a ranked SEC team, snapped a four-game losing streak and moved them back into NCAA Tournament consideration.
“I’m not worried about any of that,” Georgia coach Mike White said about his team’s NCAA chances. “Honestly, I’m not trying to dodge it. I’d say the same thing to our team, to our staff. We’re not into making statements. If a statement was made, so be it.”
The Longhorns (16-12, 5-10) head home after a stinging 86-81 overtime loss Wednesday at Arkansas. Tre Johnson led Texas with 39 points, a total that was both his career-high output and a Longhorns freshman record.
“(Johnson) is one of those guys that really just wants to win,” Texas coach Rodney Terry said of the SEC’s scoring leader. “He’s really attacked the season with the mindset that he really wanted to win at the highest level.”
Arthur Kaluma added 13 points and 11 rebounds and Kadin Shedrick had 12 points and eight boards for the Longhorns. Texas has dropped two straight games and five of its past six outings as its chances to reach March Madness have plummeted.
Georgia has won eight of the 13 games in the all-time series with the Longhorns, with the most recent matchup a 98-88 home win in 2019. Texas and Georgia have not played in Austin since November 1998.
–Field Level Media
