University of Georgia Athletics
Friday, November 5
Athens, Ga.
7:00 p.m.
University of Georgia
0-0,0-0SEC
64
vs
49
Morehouse - Exhibition
0-0,0-0SIAC
1
2
F
Morehouse
18
31
49
Georgia
32
32
64
Team Stats
More
UGa
FG%
.328
.375
3FG%
.231
.269
FT%
.500
.500
RB
33
53
TO
15
17
STL
13
6
Game Leaders
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Basketball
/ Men's Basketball
/ Men's Basketball
/ Men's Basketball
/ Men's Basketball
/ Men's Basketball
/ Men's Basketball
/ Men's Basketball
/ Men's Basketball
Bulldogs Top Morehouse, 64-49, In Final Exhibition
November 05, 2021 | Men's Basketball
Newcomers lead Georgia in their first outing at Stegeman
POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEOS
Coach Crean
B. Bridges
ATHENS, Ga. — A double-double from Braelen Bridges led a trio of Bulldogs in double figures to pace Georgia en route to a 64-49 win over Morehouse in an exhibition outing Friday evening at Stegeman Coliseum. Georgia will open regular-season play next Tuesday against Florida International.
In the first home outing for 10 newcomers on the Georgia roster, the Bulldogs methodically built a double-digit lead in the first half and then withstood a rally by the Maroon Tigers that cut the margin to two points before reasserting control.
"It felt great to be back in here with fans on a Friday night before our football team plays," head coach Tom Crean said. "To have fans come out like that, wow, I thought it was great. We have 10 guys who have never played in this gym before. We've only practiced in this gym I think four times, so we have some getting used to with that type of stuff. I love the way our team came out and was aggressive. They were very aggressive. We've been struggling with deflections in practice this week, and we had 53 tonight. These guys got after it."
Bridges was one of four newcomers who led Georgia. The senior from Atlanta finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds and also dished out a team-high four assists. Kario Oquendo chipped in 12 points, and Aaron Cook added 10. Jailyn Ingram hauled in 11 rebounds and matched Bridges' tally with a quartet of assists.
After the Maroon Tigers jumped out to an 8-5 lead, the Bulldogs seized control with a 9-0 surge. Cook keyed the run with a jumper at the 16:20 mark, followed by a pair of free throws from Jabri Abdur-Rahim, a layup by Bridges and a 3-pointer in transition by Ingram.
Georgia pushed its lead to double digits for the first time on back-to-back layups by Bridges that made it 28-17 with 3:57 left in the period. The Bulldogs extended that margin to a 32-18 on a Jaxon Etter triple prior to halftime. Cook opened the second-half scoring to put Georgia up by 16 points, its largest of the evening.
Morehouse then cut into the margin aided by a quartet of 3-pointers that helped trim the margin to 41-39 with 9:10 left.
"Second half, we did some good things, but we backed off too much defensively," Crean said. "We played hard, but we gave too much room. They got a little bit hot, but we handled it."
Bridges scored on Georgia's next possession, and Abdur-Rahim followed with a breakaway dunk.
The Maroon Tigers never got closer than five points thereafter, and Georgia finished the night on a 10-0 run.
"You don't want to play, whether it's at Charlotte or this game here, and walk out with fool's gold," Crean said. "You don't want to walk out of here with an unrealistic view of what you have to get better at. I think Morehouse came out here, and they had an aggressive, attacking, we're going to get-after-you mindset, which was perfect for us. We have to see that. They've read the press clippings like they're going to come in here and get that win. We have to understand how we can attack. We did not cut well tonight. When the ball is moving, we're a good team. When the ball doesn't move or the next pass isn't made, we're not a good team. The shooting, we're missing three's that we make. We're missing free throws that we make. I'm not concerned about that at all. We'll get that. We have to continue to find rotations of guys. I didn't get to play as many guys in the second half as I would have liked tonight, but it was really good for everyone to have to go through this. It was a very good two games for us to figure out where we are heading into the regular season."
The Bulldogs will open regular-season play in four days when they host Florida International at Stegeman Coliseum at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for that contest are $15 each and available for purchase here.
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Georgia Basketball Postgame Quotes vs. Morehouse
 Georgia head coach Tom Crean
Opening Statement…Â
    "It felt great to be back in here with fans on a Friday night before our football team plays. To have fans come out like that, wow, I thought it was great. We have 10 guys who have never played in this gym before. We've only practiced in this gym I think four times, so we have some getting used to with that type of stuff. I love the way our team came out and was aggressive. They were very aggressive. We've been struggling with deflections in practice this week, and we had 53 tonight. These guys got after it. Second half, we did some good things, but we backed off too much defensively. We played hard, but we gave too much room. They got a little bit hot, but we handled it. You don't want to play, whether it's at Charlotte or this game here, and walk out with fool's gold. You don't want to walk out of here with an unrealistic view of what you have to get better at. I think Morehouse came out here, and they had an aggressive, attacking, we're going to get-after-you mindset, which was perfect for us. We have to see that. They've read the press clippings like they're going to come in here and get that win. We have to understand how we can attack. We did not cut well tonight. When the ball is moving, we're a good team. When the ball doesn't move or the next pass isn't made, we're not a good team. The shooting, we're missing three's that we make. We're missing free-throws that we make. I'm not concerned about that at all. We'll get that. We have to continue to find rotations of guys. I didn't get to play as many guys in the second half as I would have liked tonight, but it was really good very everyone to have to go through this. It was very good, two games for us, to figure out where we are heading into the regular season. Â
On team chemistry so far...
    "We do not have it yet. They are really good guys. I love going to work with these guys. This is an extremely mature group. We are practicing long and hard. We have really been in a training camp mode. We spend a lot of time scrimmaging, half-court things. shooting the ball, working close-outs, all those different things. You are trying to build that chemistry. When you have 10 new players and the leading returning guy is Jaxon Etter, now that P.J. (Horne) is down, it makes everything that much more of a challenge. Two guys that move the ball really well when they are in the game is Christian Wright and Jaxon Etter. Those guys, we are trying to find more ways to play them consistently with the other guys. The biggest thing for us right now, with a young team, which Kario (Oquendo) and Jabri (Abdur-Rahim) are. Aaron (Cook) is in a different role here than what he is used to. We have to trust that pass. We have to make that next pass. We have to cut. Even if they are standing five or six feet off of us, still cut, because that is our offense. We will get it. We are learning more and more. Do we have good vision? Can we make these kinds of passes? All of those types of things. Even with some of the things that they did tonight, we have not spent very much time on. Press offense and zone offense, we have not spent a lot of time on that yet, but we will. It was a good situation tonight. That chemistry comes when you understand how you have to make the game easier for your teammates. By the way you talk on defense, by the way you make the next pass, and by the way that you cut and move without the ball."
On the value of Braelen Bridges...
    "He and Dalen Ridgnal are not anywhere near where they are going to be. Dalen has certainly practiced more. Braelen can really pass. He can score on the low blocks. He has got to continue to get the basketball conditioning to play long minutes. He played more minutes than I would have wanted him to tonight, but the fact that he had the double-double is really good. He is a true low-post scorer. Outside of Nicolas Claxton, for the big guys, he is the best passer that we have had here."
On finding chemistry within the team…
    "Well, I don't think we will quickly gel, I don't think it works that way. I think that you could have a veteran team and it could take long. There has been a lot of close games in exhibition games. John Bateman told me that Miles College led Kentucky 56 percent of the game. Auburn is in a fight today. Arkansas beat East Central by three and then beat North Texas I think by seven. It is hard. You have to get the chemistry right, but you have to get the rotations and who can play with each other right too. That takes some time. I would say the biggest thing that we have to continue to understand is that the physicality needed. The low base, the leverage…we are lifting three-times a week. It is not like we are going to get incredibly stronger in a short period of time, but we have to play with more leverage. We have to play more physical. We can't miss block outs. We can't go under screens. We can't melt when the screen hits us. The physicality of the game – now I say that, and we got 22 offensive boards. That is a physical part of the game too. Twenty-two is the good news, six second chance points, not so good news.  But the bottom line is we are getting the rebounds. We knew that could be a weakness for this team and it has to become a strength. There are things like that and Florida International is going to come in here and they are a tremendous 3-point shooting team. They play with quickness; they play with speed. Cincinnati, I know is going to be very good. It is what it is going to be. Georgia Tech two Fridays from now; then we go to New Jersey. We have to continue day after day, and I believe we are making strides in practice. Since our Charlotte game we have made a ton of strides. We just have to continue to figure out how to play harder longer, how to have guys be ready to come into the game that have a level of physicality and aggressiveness not just an offensive mindset when they come into the game."
 On the last three players on the bench...
    "Not at all, it is just the way the game went. In Tyrone Baker's case, he is going to be a good player, but the game was just a little too physical and we didn't play as much zone tonight. So no, it wasn't by design. I mean it's – these games are for real, right, and I did do some rotating early…  I didn't use the bench in a fluid way, either time in Charlotte or tonight. That's just part of the exhibition season. But at the end of the day, you want to play everybody, but everybody has got the chance to compete in practice, and that is what we need to continue to do."
On free throw shooting...
    "We are going to be a very good free throw shooting team. I have no doubt about that. We are going to be a very good, very good free throw shooting team. I think that was an anomaly. I think that was a couple little technique things, but it was – it just happened. But we will get that correct. This team will be a very, very good free throw shooting team."Â
On Aaron Cook…Â
    "Well, I think he's learning the responsibility that goes with that position again, because he didn't have it against at Gonzaga and because they played Andrew Nembhard and Jalen Suggs handled the ball so much there. So I think right now it's us continuing to understand for him, how to get him off the ball more and how to get it back to him in long close up situations, how to be ready to shoot. The hardest thing for guards to understand is the initial pick and roll is really not for them, whether it's man or zone and the initial pick and roll is to get the defense moving in rotation. And we've got to get better at that. We don't have the chemistry yet of the starting lineup that have played, even though at times they've all shined. We just haven't totally shined together yet. We did it to start with the defense today. But that will start to come. And Aaron's got to be a catalyst for that. Aaron's got to be the calm in the eye of the storm. And I thought he was really good. He came to the huddle one time and said 'we're not losing this game guys, but we got to guard.' That's the kind of stuff that we need. So, he'll get better. There's a lot of room for him to get better, but the leadership is really, really strong for us right now."
Junior Jaxon Etter
On what the team is doing to improve on perimeter shooting...
    "The difference with this group is that everybody gets extra work in. You walk into the gym at 8:00 a.m., guys are getting work in. You leave the gym at 11:00 p.m., guys are getting work in. It is something that was not always as prominent as it is this year. Guys are getting extra work in, and it is paying off. It did not quite pay off tonight, but I have complete confidence in that. Along with the free throws, I am not too worried about that."
On developing chemistry with new teammates...
    "The key with that is just being together. Guys are staying in the locker room 30 minutes to an hour after practice just hanging out. Guys get to know each other and just build that relationship and that chemistry that you have to have on the court. If you do not, you are going to be nonexistent. The 17 turnovers, it is going to come down eventually. It will. I am not worried about that at all."
On teammates from last year transferring...Â
    "I did not take it personally. I do not think that Coach Crean took it personally. These guys made decisions to better their future, and I respect that 100 percent. I have to respect that, being their teammate and friend. I cannot judge them for anything that they want to do. If they want to take it to the pros, by all means, go for it, if that is what you think is best for your future."Â
On how his role has changed this year...
    "This year, I was expected to be a leader. Last year, I kind of came into the role of 'energy guy', 'glue guy', 'do your job on defense' type-of guy. This year, I was expected to be a leader and run the show. Coach Crean put me in tonight and said, 'Lead the team.' That is the kind of persona that I have taken. Am I as good of a leader now as I want to be? No, but it is coming."
On what he took from the exhibition game in Charlotte...
    "Just the physicality of the game. We have been scrimmaging 5-on-5, and Coach Crean just talked about it tonight. We are not bringing enough toughness into practice as we should, and that will be ramped up. I promise you. These exhibition games are giving us a lot of intuition on how the game is being played. They are providing us with a lot of toughness. Realizing that this basketball game is a lot tougher than you think. Freshman, transfers and JUCO guys are understanding that we have to go harder in practice, and I promise you that it will be ramped up."
Senior Braelen Bridges
On the chemistry of the team…
    "The new guys, we gel a lot together in the locker room and feel like we're coming more together on the court. We had a lot of new guys but a lot of the transfers were older so I feel like we're all mature. Me, Jailyn (Ingram), Aaron (Cook), and Noah (Baumann), we're all older guys so we all know how to play the game and explain it to the younger guys who just came in."
On his passing ability…
    "I love to get my teammates going. With my teammates going, I feel like defense get going. Everybody's up. The crowd's going. Then when everybody's scoring and you get somebody else going, they play defense harder and I play defense harder and that just leads to leads and everybody being happy and we win."
On what he can bring with his size in the paint...
    "I'm going to be rebounding, protecting the rim without fouling. I'm going to bring an inside scoring presence, also passing out the post when my teammates are open. Just bringing a presence to feel like my teammates have help whenever they get beat."
On SEC expectations….
    "I always like being the underdog, I feel like it just motivates us to go harder and practice and just stay humble. Just prove the people wrong. When we win it, they'll be shocked."
On finishing games strong…
    "Main thing was just taking care of the ball, getting stops, and getting in transition. When we got out and ran, I feel like we got to the free-throw line even though we didn't shoot it too well from the free-throw line. But we want to get out and run and get to the free-throw line. Attack the rim, get to the bonus so we can shoot free throws as much as we can."
On his recruiting from Georgia…
    "Sadly no they didn't. I wasn't a highly recruited guy. I had to go the JUCO route. I didn't really have the grades either so I just grinded all the way here. It's a blessing to be here."
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