University of Georgia Athletics
University of Georgia
EXH. - West Georgia
Bulldogs Conclude Exhibition Play with 98-59 Win Against West Georgia
November 01, 2018 | Men's Basketball
Junior Tyree Crump led the night in points (18) coming from six 3-pointers. Sophomore Nicolas Claxton followed with 14 of his own and led the team in steals (4).
Sophomores Teshaun Hightower and Rayshaun Hammonds also scored 10 points apiece. Georgia's underclassmen accounted for more than half of the points scored, 54, by Georgia.
"I thought they took some really tough shots, but we defended them," said Georgia head coach Tom Crean. "We have to get so much better guarding the dribble, talking on defense, and all the things that make a team successful, we just got to continue to improve at that. We got some more players to evaluate based on this game and based on the UAB game. Now we're going to get ourselves ready to go next week."
Within the first four minutes, the Bulldogs' 6-0 run featured four points and a block from Claxton. The Georgia sophomores continued the early point production with two free throws from Hammonds and a 3-pointer from Hightower. A three from Crump gave Georgia its first double-digit lead, 12-1, which was not relinquished for the remainder of the game.
Starting at the 11:27 mark, 13 unanswered points were spread between freshmen Ignas Sargiūnas and Tye Fagan and sophomores Claxton and Hammonds. Within three minutes of being on the court, freshman Amanze Ngumenzi racked up six points: a fast break dunk, a 3-pointer, and a free throw for the 41-15 margin with 3:29 remaining.
Georgia extended the lead to as many as 27 points in the first frame, using points from 11 different Bulldogs. Georgia headed into halftime with the 44-22 advantage.
Coming back to the court Georgia opened the half with eight points featuring two dunks from senior Derek Ogbeide. Crump's fourth 3-pointer of the half increased the Georgia advantage to 41 points, solidifying the 98-59 victory.
The Bulldogs' sealed a 20-plus point lead from the 12th minute of the first half through the rest of the game and secured a 30-point plus lead from the 11th minute of the second half on.
All 15 Bulldogs logged minutes, and 12 contributed to the overall total. Georgia held West Georgia to a 22-percent clip from field goal range as well as nine-percent from the arc. Senior Mike Edwards and Ogbeide each scored nine points during the contest, and junior Jordan Harris led in steals with three.
Georgia's first regular-season game is set for Friday, Nov. 9, against Savannah State at 8:30 p.m. The evening will feature a Georgia Basketball doubleheader, with the Lady Bulldogs hosting St. Bonaventure at 6 p.m.
Team Notes
*The Bulldogs outshot the Wolves 50-percent (30-of-60) to 22-percent (17-of-76) including a 42-percent clip (11-of-26) from behind the arc compared to the Wolves' nine-percent (3-of-32).
*Georgia achieved a double-digit lead at the 14:53 mark to make it a 12-1 and did not allow it to dip below double digits the rest of the night.
*At the free throw line, Georgia went 27-of-34 (79%). In the first half, UGA was 11-of-14 (78.6%). Rayshaun Hammonds led the scoring from the line going 6 for 6 including the first four points.
*The best scoring run of the night came in the first half when the Bulldogs rallied off a 13-0 clip featuring three 3-pointers by different players.
*All 15 Bulldogs on the roster logged minutes in the game, while 13 of them notched points.
Individual Notes
*Leading the scoring was Tyree Crump with 18 – all from beyond the 3-point arc. He added two rebounds and an assist to his line.
*Nicolas Claxton tallied 14 points including the first two baskets of the game. The sophomore led the team in blocks with four and pulled in team-high nine rebounds.
*Rayshaun Hammonds also grabbed nine boards and chipped in 10 points and two assists.
*Teshaun Hightower drained the game's first three-pointer and finished with 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and a steal.
*The four freshmen accounted for 20 points. Guard Jojo Toppin led the newcomers with seven points and three boards. Guard Ignas Sargiūnas notched four points and three assists. Guard Tye Fagen made his only shot from the floor, a three, and chipped in two assists and two rebounds. Forward Amanze Ngumezi collected six points, two rebounds, an assist and steal.
Georgia Player Quotes
#33 | Sophomore | Nicolas Claxton | Forward
On thoughts of the game…
"I think it was a great measuring stick for us and just to be able to get out there and play with each other again. I also think we have a lot to work on. I think we had 26 turnovers, so that's something we'll really have to get under control if we want to be able to beat the teams we're going to play against. As far as offense being free, that's just how we're playing this year. It's more position-less, and we're all starting to embrace it."
#04 | Junior | Tyree Crump | Guard
On differences thus far this season…
"Conditioning is way different. We run a lot. We scrimmage everyday, so if we lose or if you win, you've got to run. You have to compete everyday. We do a lot of conditioning, but it's helping us."
On offense…
"Like Nic (Claxton) touched on. It's a free offense; so if you're open, shoot the ball. Try to create for others. It was one of those nights where I was open a lot, so I just shot the ball."
Georgia Head Coach Tom Crean
On the team improving…
"They want to do well, they're pleasers. They want to get better, but we just have to get more consistent and tougher in certain areas. We can't let a win and the points we scored trick us into believing we don't have a long way to go. I'm happy with the way we defended shots. I thought they took some really tough shots, but we defended them. We have to get so much better guarding the dribble, talking on defense, and all the things that make a team successful. The good news is we have some more film to evaluate. We have some more players to evaluate based on this game and based on the UAB game. Now we get ourselves ready to go next week."
On zone offense…
"We have not worked on zone offense really at all. Maybe a little bit the first week of practice, but not really at all because we're trying to get our concepts, and moving without the ball. We weren't attacking the way we needed to attack, and I know they only had one field goal in the first 10 or 11 minutes of the game. We put a zone offense in at halftime, and they showed that they can do that. They can move the ball. They can try to make the plays that need to be made in that sense. I'm impressed with that, but we just have to get so much better at the fundamentals of the game, and so much better at making the game simpler for others. And we got to get so much better at the toughness part of this, which means bearing down, guarding the dribble better, grabbing the rebounds with two hands. All those things make teams improve, and we've got to work hard at that."
