Coming off a tough loss at SEC rival South Carolina, Georgia (12-14, 3-9 SEC) returned home Sunday, hoping to right the ship against the Vanderbilt Commodores (19-8, 8-4 SEC). Georgia held the lead at halftime, 29-28 and even seven minutes into the second half, but it was downhill after that.
After a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope jumper extended Georgia’s lead to five points, the Commodores went on a 15-0 run and never looked back. Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins was the driving force behind the team’s 15-0 run, as he contributed three 3-pointers to help the Commodores take the lead. Mark Fox’s team could not stop Jenkins Sunday, and it showed on the stat sheet. Jenkins finished with 28 points and dominated the Dawgs from behind the arc, going 6 for 8 on 3-point attempts.
The lack of an offense once again maligned the Bulldogs in the second half. Wins against rivals Arkansas and Mississippi State gave fans hope that the team’s offense was improving, but just like earlier in the season, the offense disappeared in the second period. Gerald Robinson continued his string of standout performances, leading the team with 19 points. Robinson was the only Georgia player in double figures, an example of the offense’s shortcomings that afternoon. Caldwell-Pope, who usually averages 14.2 points per game, finished with 6 and did not score until his jumper seven minutes into the second half. He combined with fellow guard Dustin Ware to go 1 for 16 on three point shots, another sign of the team’s offensive troubles.
Georgia went on a 6-0 run late in the game, but by that point Vanderbilt held an eleven-point lead. The Dawgs ultimately fell to the Commodores, 61-52. Georgia has four games remaining and will head to SEC rival LSU on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs beat the Tigers in Athens last year and will try to do the same this year in Baton Rouge.
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