For long stretches Monday night at Stegeman Coliseum, Georgia looked exactly like a Mike White team wants to look: disruptive on defense, quick to turn stops into points and dangerous when the pace tilted its way. The Bulldogs used that formula to beat Florida Gulf Coast 80-72 and move to 3-0.
White liked what he saw, especially in the second half when Georgia’s defense took over and sparked a 19-2 burst.
"We finally saw what we can be defensively," White said after Georgia improved to 3-0. "Offensively, we had our moments, too.
We just have got to put more of it together. We showed glimpses of a good team, though."
The first half was played at a high level on both ends, with both teams shooting well. Georgia hit 15 of 28 shots and 5 of 11 from 3-point range, while FGCU went 15 of 32. The Bulldogs carried a 44-41 lead into halftime.
The real separation came quickly after the break. Blue Cain opened the second half with a 3-pointer 29 seconds in, and Kanon Catchings followed by taking a defensive rebound the length of the floor for a layup. When FGCU answered with a jumper to make it 49-43 with 18:23 left, the Eagles would not score again until the 11:15 mark.
Georgia kept piling on. Kareem Stagg scored inside to make it 51-43, then missed the free throw after being fouled, but Catchings cleaned it up with a dunk on the rebound. James Scott added another dunk for a 55-43 edge, and the Bulldogs forced a five-second violation on the next inbounds play.
The pressure kept coming. Georgia forced a shot-clock violation on FGCU’s next trip, then Marcus Millender buried a 3.
After another miss, Scott grabbed an offensive rebound after a Cain miss from deep, and Catchings finished with another dunk. Andrew Osasuyi blocked an Eagles 3-point attempt, later added one of two free throws, and Georgia’s 17-0 run ended with a Freddie Dilione V jumper that made it 66-43 with 11:24 remaining.
"The way we came out of the second half was unbelievable. That is the best this team's played in a practice or in a game, and our bench showed everyone in the arena how much they appreciated their teammates out there," White said.
"They had two points in the first eight minutes of the second half, and credit Kanon Catchings. That is the best he has played since last February.
He has got to learn how to do that for 40 minutes, and he is going to be a really good player."
Catchings said the defensive edge is the kind of thing Georgia needs to keep leaning on.
"Coach is always talking about how important defense is, and honestly, you can't win in the SEC without playing great defense. I feel like it's something we need to build off of for sure," Catchings said.
FGCU, though, didn’t fold. After Cain made two free throws with 11:08 left to put Georgia up 68-45, the Eagles caught fire while the Bulldogs went cold. Over the next five minutes, FGCU hit shots from all over and trimmed the margin to 72-68 with 6:12 remaining.
Georgia had to answer, and it did. Osasuyi put back a miss with 5:47 left to push the lead to six, then blocked a shot at the other end.
Millender followed with two free throws to make it 76-68 with 5:14 left. Georgia then got another stop, Catchings was fouled in transition and made both free throws, and Cain’s steal set up a Stagg dunk for an 80-68 cushion.
In the end, Georgia showed both sides of the coin: the stretch where it overwhelmed FGCU and the stretch where it had to hang on and respond. Cain, Stagg, Millender and Catchings each finished with 13 points, and they combined to shoot 18-for-39. Georgia shot 45.9% overall, turned the ball over just seven times and forced 17 turnovers from FGCU, which shot 47.5%.
"This is the product of - or something that simulates - what we think we can be. It did not finish the way we wanted to finish, but our mantra in this program is 'growth every single day,' " White said.
Georgia’s first road test comes Friday night at North Carolina after three straight home games to open the season.
In Other News...
Georgias First SEC Availability Report Leaves Key Questions For Missouri
The first SEC availability report for Georgias matchup with Missouri offered an early look at how the Bulldogs are handling the weeks injury picture, and it immediately put a few defensive names in focus. Defensive lineman Joshua Horton was listed as questionable, while outside linebacker Amaris Williams was ruled out, and several other Georgia players, including Ellis Robinson and Craig Dandridge, were not listed because of injuries.
Kirby Smart also offered updates on Chauncey Bowens and Tyriq Green, adding another layer to a report that already suggests Georgia may have to manage its depth carefully heading into the game. Missouri has its own issue to monitor, with wide receiver Cayden Lee not listed because of a knee injury, leaving both sides with a little uncertainty as the week moves toward kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Why Missouri Poses A Real Threat To Georgia Again
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The concern is not only style, but what Missouri has already shown against ranked teams and how it can hang around even when the offense stalls in the red zone. Senior wide receiver Caydn Lee and quarterback Austin Simmons have both been central to that profile, with Simmons in particular giving the Tigers a chance to make plays when games tighten up. For Georgia, the challenge is less about matching talent and more about avoiding the kind of sloppy stretch that lets Missouri turn a competitive game into a real problem again. [Read more 🡒]
Why Mark Matthews Chose Georgia Is What Fans Will Love
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What makes this one especially interesting is the backdrop around his choice. Matthews reportedly had bigger NIL offers from other schools, yet still landed in Athens, which points to Georgias recruiting pitch and broader strategy carrying real weight with top targets. For a program that has built its reputation on development and winning, that combination is exactly the sort of thing fans like to see. [Read more 🡒]