Dawgs Face Missouri in First game of Conference Play

Georgia Bulldogs are set to take on the 8-5 Missouri Tigers in Columbia at 1 PM EST. T

Columbia, MO – The 10-3 Georgia Bulldogs are set to take on the 8-5 Missouri Tigers in Columbia at 1 PM EST. This marks the Dawgs' first away game since November 29th against FSU; meanwhile, this is the Tigers’ fourth consecutive home game. The Tigers are favored by 4.5 points tomorrow, and the game will be the first conference matchup for both teams.

The Dawgs are coming off their longest win streak under second-year coach Mike White (8 wins), but Mizzou will be the first Power 5 opponent they will face since a 76-62 win over Georgia Tech in early December. Over recent games, the Dawgs have come out strong in the first period and established a significant lead. During the second period, however, the Dawgs have maintained or built this lead but are sometimes outscored by their opponents. For example, in their second-most recent win, senior guard Jabri Abdur-Rahim led the team in points, scoring 18 against North Florida, but all of these points came from the first period. Nonetheless, UGA has been winning.

Big offensive threats so far for the Bulldogs can be found in Jabri Abdur-Rahim and Noah Thomasson for points, as well as Justin Hill for assists. Adur-Rahim leads the team in season points, averaging 13.2 per game and 171 on the season. Thomasson is right behind Abdur-Rahim with an average of 12.3 points per game and 160 this season. Significantly, Abdur-Rahim has been shooting well from behind the arch, shooting 42.6% on 68 total attempts. Abdur-Rahim also has the highest free throw percentage over five attempts (68 total for Abdur-Rahim), shooting 88.2% from the line. Noah Thomasson averages the highest number of minutes for the Dawgs, with 26.3 minutes per game and 342 total this season. As for Justin Hill, he leads the team in assists, averaging 3.2 per game, and is great at distributing the ball around the court for the Dawgs.

When it comes to Missouri’s offensive attack, Sean East II seems to be the go-to guy. East II leads the Tigers in points (averaging 17.1 per game and 228 this season), assists (3.5 per game and 46 this season), and minutes (32.7 per game and 425 total). Senior Nick Honor is the second man behind East II in points (11.3 per game) and first behind East II in assists (2.2 per game) and minutes (29.4 per game). Honor has also taken the most 3-point attempts (73) of anyone for Mizzou and has gone 42.5% on these shots.

Senior forward Noah Carter leads the defensive game for the Tigers with an average of 6.5 rebounds per game and 85 total. Carter also follows East II with the second most points this season, with 127 total. Sophomore forward Aidan Shaw is the team leader in blocks, with 24 total and an average of 1.8 per game.

Defensively, graduate student center Russell Tchewa has been the leading rebounder for the Dawgs, averaging 6.3 per game and 82 total. Freshman guard Silas Demary Jr. has led the Dawgs in steals with an average of 1.5 per game and has been a consistent starter. Demary Jr. also has the second-highest total turnovers, 25 this season, and assists (60 total).

With each team coming off wins, both should be provided with a fair amount of confidence for their first conference battle, especially because a win is important for each team in giving them a strong start in the SEC. Mizzou has recently lost to two ranked Power 5 teams (Kansas and Illinois), and a win would aid them in getting back on track for SEC play. As for Georgia specifically, a win would give them some credibility going into the SEC and the rest of the season in general, as they are currently 1-2 against Power 5 teams. 

Other Georgia News:

• Georgia Clinches the SEC East for Third Straight Season
• CFP Rankings Released - Georgia Remains on Top on CFB
• WATCH: Kirby Smart Talks Georgia Tech Rivalry, Updates Injury Report

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