Georgia Falls Short in OT Again: Rebounding Woes, Late Mistakes Doom Dawgs in 86-85 Loss to Tennessee
Another game, another gut-punch ending for Georgia - and this one stings a little extra.
The Bulldogs went toe-to-toe with Tennessee for 40 minutes and then some, but when the game hit overtime, Georgia couldn’t keep pace. The Volunteers leaned on their size and strength in the extra period, ultimately handing Georgia a heartbreaking 86-85 loss in Knoxville. It marks the Dawgs’ sixth straight loss to Tennessee and drops them to 1-3 in overtime games this season.
Kanon Catchings led the way for Georgia with 22 points, while Smurf Millender added 19, including nine of Georgia’s 11 points in overtime. But the stat that loomed largest?
A 52-27 rebounding deficit. That, more than anything, told the story.
Let’s break down how it all unraveled for the Dawgs.
Outmuscled in Overtime
For most of the night, Georgia matched Tennessee’s energy and execution. The Bulldogs made the right plays at the right times, forced overtime with some clutch shot-making, and looked like they belonged in a high-stakes SEC battle.
But once the game shifted to OT, Tennessee’s size advantage became the difference-maker - and JP Estrella was the tip of the spear.
Estrella opened the extra period with a go-ahead layup and later came down with a critical offensive rebound that led to a foul on Millender. That board came after Georgia had nearly forced a shot-clock violation, and it felt like the air came out of the Dawgs’ tires in that moment.
Estrella hit one of two free throws, and Bishop Boswell followed with two more to give Tennessee a five-point cushion. Millender answered with a deep three to keep Georgia alive with 17 seconds to go, but it was clear the Bulldogs were running out of options.
They had one final possession with a chance to tie, but Millender - who had been red-hot - drove for a layup when Georgia needed a three. The shot went down, but the clock didn’t stop. Georgia tried to foul on the inbounds, but time expired before they could extend the game.
It was a mental miscue in a pressure-packed moment, and it cost Georgia a shot at stealing one on the road.
Millender’s Heroics Overshadowed by Final Misstep
It’s hard to fault Smurf Millender too much. Without him, Georgia doesn’t even sniff overtime.
The veteran guard was electric down the stretch. With the Dawgs trailing late in regulation, he drove hard to the rim and finished through contact with just 3.6 seconds left to force OT. Then, in the extra period, he scored nine of Georgia’s 11 points - including the three-pointer that gave them a glimmer of hope in the final seconds.
But it’s the final possession that will stick in fans’ minds. With Georgia needing a three to tie, Millender drove the lane and finished a layup with under a second left. It was the wrong read at the wrong time - and it ended any chance Georgia had of extending the game.
Still, his teammates had his back.
“Any mistake he ever makes is outweighed by how much he does, you know, off the court and on the court obviously,” said Catchings. “He plays hard all the time and does all the right things.”
It’s a tough ending for a player who did everything he could to keep Georgia in it. Millender will have to shake it off quickly - another big SEC test awaits on Saturday.
Rebounding Battle: Not Even Close
Let’s not sugarcoat it - Georgia got dominated on the glass.
Tennessee pulled down 26 offensive rebounds and outrebounded Georgia 52-27 overall. That’s a 25-board gap, and it translated directly to second-chance points: the Vols outscored the Dawgs 24-4 in that category.
That’s the game right there.
Georgia head coach Mike White didn’t mince words postgame.
“If they get 18 offensive rebounds instead of 26, that’d still be too many, but we would have walked out of here with a big win,” White said. “It’s been a big point of emphasis really since the season tipped for us.
We’ve talked about it a lot. We’ll continue to stress it, to work on it.
At the end of the day, we’re not a great defensive rebounding team. That’s obvious, but certainly we can all give a little bit more and figure out a way to finish some stops.”
Tennessee’s second-chance dominance allowed them to survive despite a back-and-forth game where Georgia made big shots and executed well offensively. The Bulldogs shot better, played with poise in crunch time, and still walked away with a loss - because they couldn’t finish possessions.
Losing Streak Hits Two
For the first time this season, Georgia is on a losing streak.
Back-to-back losses to Texas and Tennessee have knocked the Bulldogs down to 4-4 in SEC play. While there’s no reason to hit the panic button just yet, the margin for error is shrinking in a crowded conference race.
The Dawgs have proven they can compete with just about anyone - but competing isn’t the same as closing. And right now, Georgia is learning that the hard way.
A Decisive Final Sequence
Wednesday’s game wasn’t decided until the final seconds of overtime. After Boswell hit two free throws to stretch Tennessee’s lead to five, Millender drilled a three to pull Georgia within two. But Felix Okpara answered with a free throw of his own, and the Dawgs were left needing a three to tie.
Instead, Millender drove for two. Game over.
Tennessee inbounded the ball, and Georgia never got the foul off. That’s how slim the margins are in the SEC - one decision, one rebound, one possession can flip the outcome.
Standout Stat of the Night
Rebounds: Tennessee 52, Georgia 27
Second-chance points: Tennessee 24, Georgia 4
That’s the game in a nutshell.
Top Dawgs
5. Justin Bailey - Played just 12 minutes but hit two threes, tying for second-most on the team. Gave Georgia a spark off the bench.
4. Jordan Ross - Steady throughout, though a missed layup late in regulation could’ve changed the game. Still, a solid effort.
3. Blue Cain - Looked comfortable against his hometown team. Contributed with timely buckets, rebounds, and assists in a well-rounded showing.
2. Kanon Catchings - Set the tone early with aggressive offense and came up big late in regulation. Continues to be a reliable scoring option.
1. Smurf Millender - The engine of Georgia’s offense in crunch time.
Forced OT with a gutsy layup and carried the load in the extra period. One mistake doesn’t erase an otherwise clutch performance.
Up Next: Texas A&M Comes to Town
No time to dwell on the loss - Georgia has a tough turnaround ahead.
The Dawgs return home Saturday to face Texas A&M, the current SEC leader. The Aggies are 16-4 overall and 6-1 in conference play, and they’ll come in fresh after having the midweek off.
For Georgia, it’s a chance to bounce back - but they’ll need to clean up the glass and close better if they want to avoid a third straight loss.