Maten powers Georgia to narrow victory

Yante Maten’s 19 points and 13 rebounds enabled Georgia to overcome 24 turnovers and post a sloppy nonconference win Sunday, edging Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 68-65 at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga.

Maten gave the Bulldogs (3-0) the lead for good by hitting two free throws with 4:01 left and then added a jumper with 2:25 remaining that made it 59-55.

Georgia was able to hold off the Islanders (1-3), getting a pair of foul shots from Jordan Harris with seven seconds left to make it a three-point game and force Texas A&M-Corpus Christi into a 3-point attempt. The shot from Joseph Kilgore missed as time expired.

Kilgore pumped in a game-high 22 points for the Islanders, who also got 18 from Jordan South. He hit 4-of-6 from the 3-point line, helping Kilgore lead a comeback from a 30-16 halftime deficit.

Down as many as 19 points late in the first half, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi finally found the range, gradually reeling in the Bulldogs. South drilled a 3 with 7:14 left to even the score at 49, then converted two foul shots at the 5:25 mark to tie the game again at 53.

Ultimately, the slow start and Georgia’s major advantage at the foul line doomed the Islanders. Georgia canned 21 of 29 free throws for the day, including 16 of 21 in the second half, while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was 12 of 14 at the stripe — all after halftime.

Freshman guard Rayshawn Hammonds added 15 points for the Bulldogs, who won the rebounding battle 36-27.