Georgia basketball pulled off a stunning upset against the No. 3 Florida Gators on Tuesday night, keeping their postseason aspirations alive in a thrilling 88-83 victory in Athens. With their NCAA Tournament hopes on the line, the Bulldogs delivered a gutsy performance that not only avenged an earlier 30-point loss to their rivals but also reignited belief in their season.
The Bulldogs entered the game with just four SEC wins and a history of struggling in the second half of contests. However, Georgia flipped the script against Florida, starting strong and holding off the Gators’ second-half surge.
Georgia’s offense was red-hot in the first half, shooting nearly 70% from the field and amassing a staggering 51 points by halftime. At one point, the Bulldogs held a commanding 26-point lead. Despite Florida’s efforts to rally, Georgia’s sharp shooting and composure allowed them to maintain a 51-35 halftime advantage.
Florida, however, would not go quietly. The Gators chipped away at Georgia’s lead throughout the second half, eventually taking an 80-78 lead with just over a minute to play. That’s when Georgia’s sophomore wing, Blue Cain, stepped up with a clutch three-pointer to give the Bulldogs an 81-80 edge. On Florida’s next possession, Asa Newell came up with a critical steal, and a series of free throws sealed the victory for Georgia.
Mike White, Georgia’s head coach and former Florida leader, earned a measure of revenge against his old team. The win marked one of the biggest of White’s tenure at Georgia, and the timing couldn’t have been better as it thrust the Bulldogs back into the NCAA Tournament bubble conversation.
The victory gives Georgia their third Quad 1 win of the season, adding to impressive wins over St. John’s and Kentucky. It also puts them in a position to control their postseason destiny. Up next, Georgia travels to face Texas on Saturday, a must-win game against a struggling Longhorns team. If the Bulldogs can replicate their first-half performance from Tuesday night, they’ll remain in the hunt for a spot in the Big Dance.
With momentum building and confidence growing, Georgia’s season is far from over. Tuesday night’s win may have been the spark they needed to make a late push for March Madness.
