No. 6 Tennessee blows by No. 23 Georgia, 74-56

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The No. 23 Georgia Bulldogs put up a strong fight in the first half but couldn’t withstand a dominant second-half surge by No. 6 Tennessee, falling 74-56 in a Southeastern Conference matchup Wednesday night at the Food City Center.

Freshman forward Asa Newell continued his impressive season, leading Georgia (14-3, 2-2 SEC) with 13 points and five rebounds, marking his 16th double-figure scoring game in 17 outings. Sophomore guard Silas Demary Jr. added 12 points, fueled by a career-high four 3-pointers.

“I thought we were phenomenal in the first 20,” Georgia head coach Mike White said. “And then early in the second half, we were just different defensively. We got a little bit stagnant offensively, which allowed [Jahmai] Mashack and [Zakai] Zeigler to really crawl into our guards and be useful.”

The Bulldogs held a 26-25 lead at halftime after a scrappy first half in which both teams struggled offensively. Georgia shot 38.5 percent from the field in the opening period, while Tennessee hit just 27.3 percent of its attempts. Newell’s four consecutive points late in the half helped give Georgia a brief 26-21 advantage before the Volunteers closed the gap with a quick four-point burst.

The second half, however, belonged to Tennessee (16-1, 3-1 SEC). The Volunteers opened with a 26-4 run, fueled by a 15-1 burst out of the gate that shifted momentum decisively. Zeigler, who finished with 16 points, seven assists, and a career-best six steals, knocked down three 3-pointers during an 11-0 stretch that put Tennessee ahead 51-30.

“We didn’t match their intensity on the glass,” White said. “Eighteen offensive rebounds and 19 turnovers — those two stats really tell you what happened out there.”

Newell hit a 3-pointer six minutes into the second half to end Georgia’s drought, but the Bulldogs couldn’t recover from the early deficit. Georgia’s 19 turnovers and struggles from beyond the arc (6 of 21) compounded their issues, allowing Tennessee to stretch its lead to 22 late in the game.

Despite the loss, Demary showed promise with his long-range shooting, while Newell continued to establish himself as a reliable offensive leader for the Bulldogs.

Georgia will look to regroup as they return to Athens for a marquee matchup against No. 1 Auburn on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. ET at Stegeman Coliseum and will be broadcast on SEC Network.