Georgia was able to cut into the lead but not enough to ever really threaten as they fell to Kentucky 66-60 Saturday at Rupp Arena. The win kept Kentucky perfect at home under coach John Calipari and helped the Wildcats avenge an earlier loss to the Bulldogs in Athens this season.
The Bulldogs outscored the Wildcats 36-27 in the second half but too much damage was done in the first. Georgia shot a dismal 37% for the game and was unable to hit a big bucket when it was needed after closing the gap to six. Trey Thompkins was huge in the first meeting scoring 25 points but was the focus of Kentucky’s defense in this one. Thompkins had chances late but was unable to cash in as he struggled the entire game finishing with nine points on 2 of 10 shooting.
Travis Leslie didn’t make a field goal finishing 0-7 from the field and five points. Dustin Ware led the Bulldogs with 18 points but is usually the team’s facilitator rather than leading scorer. With Thompkins and Leslie both struggling, Georgia had to lean even more on Ware and his backcourt partner Gerald Robinson who finished with 12 points.
Doron Lamb scored 19 points for Kentucky while Darius Miller added fourteen points. The win moves the Wildcats to 4-2 in the SEC and just a half game behind Florida after the Gators lost today to Mississippi State.
Georgia loses for the third time in their last four games and pushes their backs to the wall as there is little margin for error the rest of the way if they hope to be an NCAA Tournament team.