Freshman guard Anthony Edwards' 23 points included 10 in the final four minutes, helping propel Georgia past Georgia Southern 73-64 on Monday night in Athens, Ga.

The Bulldogs (8-3) also got 16 points from freshman Toumani Camara.

Ike Smith scored 25 points for Georgia Southern (8-5), which led by as many as seven in the second half before the Bulldogs rallied. Isaiah Crawley added 16 points for the Eagles.

Smith -- who scored 17 points in the second half -- drained a baseline 3-pointer to put the Eagles up 58-57 with 6:27 to go.

Georgia would regain the lead, extending the margin to 63-60 on a give-and-go from Sahvir Wheeler to Edwards for a slam at 3:49. That was part of a 10-0 run that ended with 1:48 to play on a basket by Edwards for a 69-60 lead.

The Sun Belt Conference Eagles certainly weren't intimidated, despite a fast start by Edwards, who scored Georgia's first seven points of the game as he made three consecutive field goal attempts. Edwards made 10 of 20 shots for the game.

But Georgia Southern -- which played Auburn tough before losing 83-74 in its season-opener -- kept its composure. After falling behind early by eight, the Eagles claimed their first lead on a jumper by Smith with 7:11 left in the first half.

Christian Brown answered for Georgia with a field goal on the ensuing trip down the court, the Bulldogs' first basket over a four-minute span.

A 3-pointer by Edwards extended the lead to four at the 5:38 mark, but the Bulldogs would go cold again against the Eagles' zone defense. They scored just two more points -- on a put-back by Camara -- before going scoreless over the final 5:07 of the first half.

The Eagles would take advantage, claiming a 30-29 edge on a free throw by Crawley before a jumper by David-Lee Jones Jr . sent Georgia Southern into the locker room up 32-29.

--Field Level Media