Georgia scores impressive 76-62 upset of No. 12 Florida
ATHENS – Spotted two points before the opening tip, Georgia never relinquished that lead on the way to knocking off No. 12 Florida 76-62 Saturday afternoon at Stegeman Coliseum.
The Gators (22-7, 10-4 SEC) were assessed a technical foul because sophomore Casey Prather dunked the ball during pregame warmups. That’s considered an unsportsmanlike act, though it’s an infraction rarely enforced. Florida was also assessed a flagrant foul in the game’s final minute.
As it turned out, the Bulldogs (13-15, 4-10) could have given back all the freebies and still claimed victory as they played their best game of the season..
“It’s the first time I’ve seen it happen,” said freshman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who led the Bulldogs with 18 points and 4 steals. “That definitely gave us a good feeling. It put us ahead two points and we just kept it going ’til the end of the game.”
The win broke a three-game losing streak for Georgia, which notched it’s second victory over a ranked team this season. The Bulldogs also knocked off No. 20 Mississippi State on Feb. 11. Georgia has won three of its last four home games against the Gators.
The Bulldogs will get a chance to pull off another an upset when they play No. 1-ranked Kentucky (28-1, 14-0) on Thursday in Lexington. Oddly enough, Georgia is the last team to beat Kentucky at Rupp Arena (90-85 under interim coach Pete Herrmann in 2009).
“How much [of a chance] you think they’ll give us on Thursday?” Georgia coach Mark Fox quipped
It was the first loss in four games for Florida, which was trying to clinch a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament The Gators had their worst game of the season from 3-point range, shooting 21.7 percent and making only 5 treys. They are at Vanderbilt on Wednesday.
“I told Mark after the game that I really appreciated the job he’s done,” Florida coach Billy Donoan said. “When you’re 3-10 you can get beaten down and lose your fight. But Georgia fights all the time. Not just tonight. They do it all the time and I have a lot of respect for their team and their kids. I was happy for them.”
The reasons for Georgia’s upset were easily indentified in the final boxscore. The Bulldogs shot 53 percent from the field and had five players in double figures for the first time this season. Gerald Robinson had 7 assists to go with his 15 points. Sophomore forward Donte’ Williams had 11 points and 6 blocked shots. Dustin Ware was made two of his three 3-pointers and had three big steals down the stretch. Nemanja Djurisic had 12 points and 7 rebounds to put together a personal 7-0 run in one critical stretch midway through the second half.
“When you can beat [Florida] that’s certainly something to be proud of because I think they’re terrific,” Georgia coach Mark Fox said. “I think they’re well-coached. I think they’re first class in many ways. So that’s a great win for Georgia and I was real proud of our team.”
Freshman Bradley Beal led the Gators with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
One of Caldwell-Pope’s steals came with 48.5 seconds remaining and he punctuated it with an emphatic, one-handed dunk in front of UGA’s student section. It also elicited a flagrant foul on Florida’s Patric Young well behind the play.
“That got us hyped up to finish the game like that,” Caldwell-Pope said. “We were having a lot of fun.We had a great crowd and it just felt good out there tonight.
Florida trailed by as many as 16 points in the second half but closed to within 67-62 on Kenny Boynton’s 3-pointer at the 1:53 mark.
The Gators had a chance to get even closer, but Beal fouled Georgia’s Dustin Ware with one second on the shot-clock as they battled for possession of the ball just inside the timeline. Ware made both free throws to extend the lead to seven.
Georgia closed out the game 9-0 run with two dunks and five free throws.
“I’m just proud of my guys, just everybody as a unit continuing to fight,” Georgia’s Robinson said. “It’s easy when you’re going through a lot of struggles to just pack it in. But the guys have kept on working hard and continued to fight knowing we were going to reap the benefits at some point in time. Today was one of those days.”
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115 comments Add your comment
Hammerhead
February 26th, 2012
8:48 am
Impossible to overachieve when your fan base expects a national championship every year.
Thomas Brown
February 26th, 2012
8:52 am
Quite the accolade about the football team, that the basketball team just beat # 11 Florida in a rout, when the football team last accomplished such a feat 3 years ago, fixing to be 4 years ago in 2009. 2009 by the way, we also lost to 7-6 vols, 7-6 Kentucky and to another team who did not end up in the AP Poll Top 25 Okie State. You might remember that game. Our coaching staff bragged all off-season how Joe Cox was so great. Then, we all found out that his chronic sore shoulder prevented Joe Cox from practicing at least once every week all year long. Joe Cox also had the flu so badly, that he had to fly out to Stillwater on a charter flight. Did we even consider Zach Mettenberger might need to take a snap vs Okie State ? Obviously not. The following year, Spring Break, he got arrested in Valdosta. What if he had been the # 1 QB going into that one day of Spring Practice, prior to the Spring Break 2010 ? Now, Zach Mettenberger is just one of 24 players Mark Richt has over-signed here for this 2012 season with 109 signees for 2012 toward his 85-scholarship limit. 26 players kicked out of the program, and Zach Mettenberger but one.
I was on this blog prior to kick-off calling for Zach Mettenberger to get some snaps that fateful day which ruined our 2009 season, Game 1.
Joe Cox would go on to the set the record for most interceptions and fumbles by a starting quarterback at Georgia. And, of course, we ended the season unranked in 2009 at 8-5 with 3 of the 5 losses vs teams who did not end up in the AP Poll Top 25.
But, we beat Georgia tek in 2009. A highly suspect 2009 team of Georgia tek. A season which put Georgia tek BACK on NCAA PROBATION. Had we not beat Georgia tek in 2009, the win would have been VACATED according to the NCAA in its habitual cheaters ruling against Georgia tek 2009 when Paul Johnson KNEW that he could not be told about the NCAA investigation, and KNEW he could not prep the players in said investigation on what to say. Paul Johnson MET WITH THE SAID PLAYERS anyway. Thus Georgia tek put on back-to-back NCAA PROBATION now again all this year too, for it.
Thomas Brown
February 26th, 2012
9:00 am
Our fanbase does not expect a nc every year. In fact, that is the whole entire problem around here in the 1st place, that we HAVE ZERO EXPECTATIONS for our football program.
This up-coming 2012 regular season for example, we play at most, 1 team who ends the season in the AP Poll Top 25.
What is the fanbase calling for ?
SEC East Championship. Well, we were SEC East Champions 2011 and the # 5 SEC Team in every single solitary poll.
Rout in SEC Championship Game at our House.
Rout by lowly Boise State at our House.
Beat by South Carolina at Our House.
Beat by Michigan State to run bowl record to 7-4.
All 4 losses were marked by Interceptions, Fumbles and Sacks by puny Aaron Murray where in all 4 games the other QB for the other team was FAR SUPERIOR to our QB, again.
That makes 11 times in his short career now where the OTHER QUARTERBACK for the OTHER TEAM was FAR SUPERIOR TO AARON MURRAY, head-to-head that day on the field.
Jborodawg
February 26th, 2012
9:10 am
@Thomas Brown, leave it to you to copy/paste your UGA football “stats” on a basketball blog. Brilliant.
Great game and great win for the BB Dawgs! Like Donovan said, these guys could have packed it in a couple weeks ago; but they’ve hung tough and play hard every game. I’ve watched all the losses too, and they’ve never quit. They generally play pretty darn good D, but just can’t buy a basket most of the time this season. Last night they scored in the paint for maybe the first time, or one of the few times. And, they finally got some foul shots to shoot.
No, one game doesn’t make up for the dismal season. But still, a great game and a great win!
Here’s hoping that KCP and a few other younguns stick around for at least their junior seasons. No telling how this season would have gone if we had Tre.
Go Dawgs!
SeasonTixHolder
February 26th, 2012
9:19 am
Dear Mr. Brown,
There are thousands of sites to discuss UGA Football. Please refrain from trying to threadjack one of the few that actually pertains to UGA Basketball. Just because you are an Attention Who*e, doesn’t mean the rest of us should pay for it.
Thomas Brown
February 26th, 2012
9:26 am
When you write posts like THIS here Jborodawg, we can all see why you would be reticent about someone copying and pasting YOUR POSTS to this blog for all to see Jborodawg, sir.
__________________________________________________________
Jborodawg October 9th, 2011 10:03 am
“I submit that it’s not so much CMB’s play-calling as it is the players not executing sometimes. EG Murray’s long-ball accuracy needs a lot of improvement, as do the WRs needing to improve their route-running and catching. CMB calls some good plays but the players need to execute.”
________________________________________________________
You Jborodawg, think ONLY YOU CAN RUN IN HERE AND CRITICIZE the football program.
Thomas Brown
February 26th, 2012
9:27 am
Your post is NOT ABOUT BASKETBALL.
Thomas Brown
February 26th, 2012
9:28 am
Another of the do as you SAY, not as YOU DO
SeasonTixHolder (by the way, so am I.)
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
February 26th, 2012
9:32 am
Well let’s see…The Dawgs taught UF how to play football and round-ball so what’s next….the Diamond Dawgs will win the SEC….
Just like football...just like football...just like football
February 26th, 2012
9:32 am
All the Gators on this blog repeat with me:
Just like football…just like football…just like football!
A person SMART enough to know......
February 26th, 2012
9:43 am
just like football UGa is 3-17 against the Gators in Basketball.
Football in this area is KING
February 26th, 2012
9:58 am
UGA ( as lousy as we have been lately) STILL OWNS FLORIDA and GEORGIA TECH IN FOOTBALL.
College football is not just about one era. No way. No, College is about forever and forever, UGA HAS OWNED FLORIDA and GT in football. Look it up !!!
GO Dogs.
PS do not whine about the 90s ……………..my FLorida Gator family members know that Georgia has owned their alma mater over the many, many years and the same is truw tih my sad GT family members.
Go Dogs.
UGA class of 71 & 73
coacht
February 26th, 2012
10:03 am
Ware and Robinson played great today but look at what’s coming…..the freshmen and the sophs coming along and playing great. They’ll be inconsistent because of youth but golly what a prospect with so many young guys playing well and most importantly…getting MUCH better as the year goes along! Way to go Dawgs and way to go Coach! (es)
coacht
February 26th, 2012
10:05 am
This season is NOT over or a disappointment by any means. BB is a tournament sport!
A person SMART enough to know......
February 26th, 2012
10:09 am
football in this area is KING….God I hope EDUCATION in this area will be KING one day instead.
Do ANY of the kids now being recruited by UGa even know when the dawgs were better than the GATORS? These players were not even BORN when UGa was better than the GATORS. Better be making more of those HISTORY of UGa football DVDs and sending them to the kids the dawgs are trying to recruit.
Cardinal Sin
February 26th, 2012
10:30 am
A FLUKE WIN!!! Every team has one now and then!
Ken Merritt
February 26th, 2012
12:34 pm
Thomas, those are very intersting statistics on SEC coaches’ winning percentages. What was your source?
RaleighDawg
February 26th, 2012
12:37 pm
@THE Dixie Redcoat Band 9:32 am…
Just wondering if you knew why UGA has dropped the trumpet solo for Glory, Glory at the start of basketball games ? The solos were being played at the start of the season but somewhere around midseason they just stopped with no explanation. Will they be banned for football as well ?
Thanks !
phil
February 26th, 2012
1:12 pm
We probably dropped the trumpet solos because we’re so awful in both sports….
Steve
February 26th, 2012
1:44 pm
Thomas Brown does it suck to not have a life or a woman?
TampaGator
February 26th, 2012
1:44 pm
Just like football….
Gators have WON multiple football championships since 1981……Georgia NONE….ZERO.
Gator have WON multiplle basketball national championships since 1981……Georgia NONE…..ZERO.
Gators have massive percentage of victories over Georgia during the 1990s and 2000s in football.
Gators have even a larger of percentage of victories over Georgia during the 1990s and 2000s in basketball.
Yep……Just like in football……Georgia gets lucky and finds an acorn every once in a while vs. Florida.
But…..take nothing away from Fox and Georgia yesterday. They were well coached and came to play. Florida was well coached, but they did not come ready to play. But don’t forget….Florida beat Georgia by 20 in Gainesville. Florida is a far more talented basketball team…..for the season….but not for this game.
Steve
February 26th, 2012
1:45 pm
Hey TampaGator, what is Florida’s overall record versus UGA in football? Funny how you only talk about the 90’s and 00’s.
TampaGator
February 26th, 2012
1:50 pm
TampaGator….
and yes I know Georgia used to beat up on the Gators in the 50s, 60s, 70s and in the early 80s…….and you owned the Gators before the invention of the forward pass.
Northern Gator
February 26th, 2012
1:53 pm
In the last 6 years florida has:
2 national titles in football (2006, 2008)
2 national titles in basketball (2006, 2007)
No other university in history has done that—enough said. End of conversation.
Steve
February 26th, 2012
1:53 pm
Hate to tell ya Tampa, but UGA will own Florida 2011 – 2020. Your little team is a mess.
TampaGator
February 26th, 2012
1:54 pm
Steve……
Most Florida fans had no idea what college football was all about until Spurrier arrived. He taught us to appreciate the game….and the importance of dominating Georgia….which Florida has done since he arrived in town.
Steve
February 26th, 2012
1:54 pm
Yea Florida is so great the Meyer quit and went to Ohio State.
Steve
February 26th, 2012
1:57 pm
Dominating huh? Florida is 3-2 against UGA in the last 5 years.
TampaGator
February 26th, 2012
1:58 pm
Steve…..
Hate to tell Steve…….but 2012 has not even come and gone yet. What is that saying? “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
“Your little team is a mess”
I guess that is why Florida just extended Muschamp’s contract and just completed the 5th best recruiting class in the country…….yep…..that “little team” called the Florida Gators is truely a mess.
Steve
February 26th, 2012
2:01 pm
Oh so you are happy with your little Gaytors last year? Funny how they are picked to be 3rd or 4th in the SEC East this year.
TampaGator
February 26th, 2012
2:05 pm
Yes…..
Florida is 3-2 vs. Georgia since 2007…..winning one National Title during that time and playing for 3 SEC titles…..and outscoring Georgia 176 points to 112 points…..or by an average of 12.8 points more per game played. Yes……dominating in the last 5 games.
Steve
February 26th, 2012
2:06 pm
Since you UF losers like to live in the past, how about this? From 1971 – 1989 Florida was 4-15 against UGA.
Steve
February 26th, 2012
2:07 pm
HA HA HA. So Florida is “dominating” in the last 5 years but lost to UGA twice. Yea that makes sense. Are your jean shorts on too tight today?
TampaGator
February 26th, 2012
2:07 pm
Steve….
Again….Steve…..is does not matter where you picked to finish. What matters is actually where you finish when the year is over. Where did Georgia finish last year? Clobbered by LSU and downright embarrassed by a Big Ten team on National TV……joining Vandy as the only SEC teams to lose in a bowl game.
Steve
February 26th, 2012
2:08 pm
UGA = SEC East Champions. Florida???
TampaGator
February 26th, 2012
2:10 pm
Steve…..
Look at the stats and the championships during those 5 years. I bet you would give your right Dawgee Eye to switch them to your side……..
Sorry…..I need to stop now and pull up my jean shorts.
TampaGator
February 26th, 2012
2:11 pm
Steve…..
Oh…..now…..really……you want to compare how many SEC East titles Georgia has won vs. Florida……..SERIOUSLY???????
TampaGator
February 26th, 2012
2:13 pm
Steve……
Too bad is is raining in Daytona….isn’t it? Well….I hope you can at least agree with that logic.
Steve
February 26th, 2012
2:14 pm
Sure, I would love for UGA to win a championship. Your point? I just find it funny when “fans” only look at the recent past instead of the whole picture. UGA has a bigger and better history then Florida. UGA has an overall winning record against Florida as well as most other teams. Florida has an overall losing record against: UGA, Auburn, Alabama, Miami, and Ole Miss (really?).
Steve
February 26th, 2012
2:18 pm
SEC titles. Florida 8, UGA 12. What else ya got?
Coffee Bluff DAWG
February 26th, 2012
2:32 pm
Just back in town from the game yesterday. Great win for the DAWGS and Fox after this tough year. Got to give credit to Fox keeping his players focused and motivated after all the SEC losses.
Gerald Robinson will be a big loss next yr so Fox will have to do some recruiting to build this program. We’ll need a pt guard and still a lot of help is needed on the front line to add O and rebounding.
Even though Donovan is a Gator I have a lot of respect for him and the job he’s done at FL – he is a class guy.
Ben Jones
February 26th, 2012
2:33 pm
IRRELEVANT-TBROWN is your hate for the Football Dawgs broadcasted on our DAWGS big basketball win over the GATORS! At least your showin some dawg love over the Jacketd..Thats a positive for once…..NEGATIVENEGATIVENEGATIVE.
Steve
February 26th, 2012
2:43 pm
Awwww Gaytor boy got quiet.
Ben
February 26th, 2012
3:44 pm
We beat a team last year who was a final four team (Kentucky)
Beast from the East
February 26th, 2012
3:51 pm
Steve,
Unless you were born before WWII, then you have seen UF win more than UGA…unless you don’t wach when UGA loses. Brag about those pre-WWII wins all you want. No one really cares about what happened GENERATIONS ago. Congrats on the win last year. Be proud of beating the worst Gator team since 1979.
Steve
February 26th, 2012
4:30 pm
Wow I did not know that 1971 – 1989 was before WWII! Thank you!
Beast from the East
February 26th, 2012
5:02 pm
Steve,
I’d try to explain it to you, but it’s painfully obvious that you wouldn’t be able to understand. Have fun with the “jorts” and “Gaytors” comments. Very classy and well thought through. Woof, woof.
Upstate Dawg
February 26th, 2012
5:04 pm
Super effort yesterday at the Steg. UGA took it to the Gators all afternoon and thwarted every counter-attack UF tried to muster. I hope that some of the fans who enjoyed the result yesterday will come to Athens Sat for Senior Day vs Carolina. GO DAWGS
Cardinal Sin
February 26th, 2012
5:49 pm
Face it GA fans, your team sucks!! Loses to Mich State and has not won a NC in 30+ years!!!!!
Enough Said!!!!
59bulldawg
February 26th, 2012
6:45 pm
Great win! Kudos to gentleman Billy Donovan . . . a true class act!