Yante Maten scored 21 points and freshman Rayshaun Hammonds had a big performance in his debut as Georgia pummeled Bryant 79-54 on Friday night at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga.

Hammonds became the first true freshman to start the season opener for Georgia since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in 2011. Hammonds hit 7 of 9 shots from the field and finished with 17 points.

Sophomore guard Adam Grant scored 24 points to lead Bryant, which got off to a dreadful start and never recovered. Ryan Layman added 13 points off the bench for the visiting Bulldogs from the Northeast Conference.

Georgia used an 11-0 run, capped by a jump hook from Maten, to take command early in the first half.

Will Jackson and Tyree Crump combined to hit five 3-pointers and score 17 points in the first half. Bryant shot 17.6 percent from the floor and had 17 points in the first half.

Georgia led 40-17 at halftime.

Jackson finished with 11 points and Crump had eight off the bench for coach Mark Fox's Bulldogs, who were picked to finish eighth in the SEC by the media.

Maten grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked four shots. The senior was tabbed as the co-preseason player of the year in the SEC along with Missouri's Michael Porter Jr. and Texas A&M's Robert Williams.

Bryant was picked to finish eighth in the 10-team Northeast Conference by league coaches.