Sahvir Wheeler posted his third straight double-double with a game-high 21 points and 10 assists, while Toumani Camara added 19 points to lead Georgia to a 98-65 nonconference victory over Jacksonville on Friday night at Athens, Ga.
The Bulldogs (3-0) used a balanced attack and a suffocating defense to deal the Dolphins (3-1) their first loss of the season. Georgia's three other starters also scored in double figures, with P.J. Horne getting 12, Justin Kier 11 and Tye Fagan adding 10. Christian Brown came off the bench to score 14.
The Bulldogs, who trailed just briefly early in the game, shot 51.4 percent from the field (38 of 74) and made 14 of 18 from the free-throw line.
Jacksonville struggled mightily in its first major test of the year. The Dolphins shot 42.4 from the field and made just 4 of 23 from 3-point range, in addition to committing 22 turnovers.
Diante Wood led the Dolphins with 18 points, with Mo Arnold and Tyreese Davis each scoring 13, while Dontarius James added 11.
After Arnold's layup pulled the Dolphins to within 57-49 with 13:36 remaining, Georgia turned the game into a rout by going on a 22-4 run to take a 79-53 lead with seven minutes remaining.
Trailing 8-7, Georgia took control with a little over 16 minutes left in the first half. The Bulldogs went on a 10-0 run, with Camara accounting for six points during the spurt, including a thunderous windmill dunk off fast break, for a 17-8 lead with 13:18 remaining before halftime.
Georgia was too much for the Dolphins defensively, who struggled to run their offense and get good shots. Jacksonville, which entered the game shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from beyond the arc, could not find its rhythm against the Bulldogs, who extended their lead.
Jacksonville made just 5 of its first 18 attempts, including misses on its first seven of 3-point attempts, allowing Georgia to push its lead to 28-14 with under eight minutes before intermission.
In the first half, Jacksonville had just five more field goals (14) than turnovers (nine). The Dolphins shot just 43.8 percent (14 of 32) in the first half and were particularly inept from 3-point range, making just 2 of 13 attempts.
--Field Level Media
Jacksonville | Georgia | |
Diante Wood 18 | Scoring | Sahvir Wheeler 21 |
Dontarius James 2 | Assists | Sahvir Wheeler 10 |
Mo Arnold 7 | Rebounds | Toumani Camara 7 |
Diante Wood 4 | Free Throws Made | Sahvir Wheeler 4 |
Mo Arnold 3 | Steals | Justin Kier 4 |
Cameron Boozer 1 | Blocks | Christian Brown 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Jacksonville | 65 | 42.4 | 4-23 | 11-24 | 8 | 31 | 2 | 7 | 22 |
Georgia | 98 | 51.4 | 8-23 | 14-18 | 24 | 46 | 3 | 15 | 16 |