Bulldogs Fall on Senior Day to Tigers

Saturday, February 25

Athens, Ga.

1:00 p.m.

University of Georgia

16-13,6-10SEC

Missouri

21-8,9-7SEC

Missouri

Georgia

February 25, 2023 | Men's Basketball

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ATHENS, Ga. — The Georgia men's basketball team fell to Missouri, 85-63, on Senior Day Saturday afternoon at Stegeman Coliseum before 10,041 spectators.

Three Georgia (16-13, 6-10 SEC) players finished in double figures, with Kario Oquendo leading the team in scoring with 14 points, including a trio of 3-pointers and a pair of steals. Center Braelen Bridges also had a solid outing on his senior day, earning a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double that saw him shoot perfectly from the field. Mardrez McBride added 12 points, all coming on 3-pointers.

The Bulldogs were unable to capitalize on a strong first half, scoring 41 points on 48 percent shooting, with Missouri (21-8, 9-7 SEC) forcing 10 turnovers and holding the team to just 31 percent from the field in the second half.

"Thought we were really good for 20 in the first and in the second 20, they came out strong, and both offensively and defensively we just didn't respond well to adversity," said head coach Mike White. "…We have got to be mentally tougher than that, we disconnected the second half, and it snowballed on us."

The game opened with Terry Roberts finding Jaylin Ingram in transition, as the seventh-year forward cashed in a 3-pointer to reach the 1,500-career points mark. Neither team managed to claim a sizeable lead until the Bulldogs went on a 7-0 run when a put-back layup by Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe forced the Tigers to take a timeout as Georgia led 21-15 with just over 12 minutes in the half to go.

Oquendo continued to add to the Bulldogs' lead, earning five-straight points after making his third 3-pointer of the half and converting a monstrous dunk in transition. Missouri used a 9-1 run off a trio of threes, though, to tie the game up a 27.

McBride began to catch fire from behind the arc, going 3-of-4 from the 3-point line over four minutes and putting pressure on the Missouri defense. A steal and dunk in transition from Justin Hill forced Missouri to call another timeout with just over two minutes to go in the half. The Bulldogs ended the half with a narrow 41-40 lead.

After a hook shot from Bridges began the second half, Missouri responded with a 10-0 to put Georgia down seven. White called a timeout following a step-back 3-pointer from Nick Honor, which put the Bulldogs' deficit at 53-44. Hill ended the drought for the Bulldogs, making the team's first field goal since Bridges' bucket the start of the half off a corner 3-pointer to cut the Tigers' lead to eight.

Turnovers began to stack up for Georgia, reaching six in the half's first eight minutes. McBride ended a 14-2 run for Missouri when Roberts found him in the corner for a 3-pointer. The Bulldogs could not stop the Tigers' hot hand, as Missouri made its seventh field goal from deep at the under-eight media timeout. Georgia could not get its offensive production back in rhythm in the closing frame, falling by an 85-63 margin.

The Bulldogs will play their final game in Stegeman Coliseum against Florida on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network. Georgia holds a 61-45 record against the Gators at its home arena.

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