11/27/19
Edwards’ Buzzer Beater Three Leads Dawgs to Win vs Chaminade to Close Out Maui Jim Invitational
Cover Photo: @UGABasketball
By. Andrew Rodberg (twitter.com/AndrewRod2019) (instagram: 404thebeat)
ATHENS, GA— In the final game of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, Georgia faced the Chaminade Silverswords with a chance to finish the invitational with a victory. With a 9:00pm tip-off, the Dawgs knew they were in for a victory hungry battle with Chaminade as the game was back and forth from the first possession. The Silverswords lead by senior Andre Arissol, had the hot hand and forced his will on a young Georgia team early on. Arissol began to see his three point shot go down which only built his confidence.
The Dawgs, led by freshman star, Anthony Edwards, was doing everything in this game… blocking shots, snagging rebounds, racking up assists and scoring in the first half which wasn’t surprising at all. What looked to be the clear highlight was the fact that Coach Crean had him on the bench multiple times during the first half which was quite puzzling. With Georgia the clear bigger and more athletic team, was able to build a decent 8 point lead before Edwards went to the bench. In doing so the Chaminade Silverswords would cut into the lead and start a run of their own. As the final 2 minutes remained, the Silverswords went on a 7 point run and was able to cut into the lead as the Dawgs held a 1 point lead at halftime, 38-37.
Key Points of the Half:
- Georgia only forced Chaminade to put them at the line 2 times (4 free throws)
- Turnovers continue to be a problem as they had 11 in the first half
- The Three Pointer continues to struggle in first halves of games
- Edwards didn’t have a slow start
Key Contributors at Half:
Anthony Edwards: 9 pts, 6 rebs, 3 assists, 1 block
Sahvir Wheeler: 5 pts, 2 rebs, 1 assist
Tyree Crump: 6 pts, 3 rebounds
In the second half, Georgia fell victim to lackluster transition defense once again. After Georgia built another 6 point lead, Chaminade went on a 8-0 run off of fast break layups. With the horrible UGA transition defense, the Silverswords got new life and looked to pad a 2 point lead with just over 15 minutes remaining. With the game mimicking a teeter-totter, it was time for Anthony to officially take over the game (a lot like yesterday). Following a long three, Crean called for the offense to go through Edwards and he didn’t disappoint. With the Dawgs making it a point to give the ball to Edwards, they were able to erase the 4 point deficit and built a 9 point lead. Chaminade refused to be down and out as they came storming back and making a late push for victory. With just over 3 minutes left in regulation, the Dawgs found their once 9 point lead cut to 3. With neither offense able to pull away in the final 2 minutes, a late mistake by the Dawgs allowed Chaminade to drain a 3 pointer to tie the game at 77-77 with 10 seconds left. With ice in his veins, Edwards took the ball for the final possession for the Dawgs and drilled a long contested three to give the Dawgs a 80-77 win.
MVP:
Anthony Edwards: 24 pts, 8 rebs, 3 assists, 2 blks
Honorable Mentions:
Shavir Wheeler: 9 pts
Tyree Crump: 9 pts, 3 rebs
Rayshaun Hammonds: 12 pts, 10 rebs
CHECK OUT THE CLIP BELOW:
Next Opponent:
The Dawgs will now return to Athens to face the North Carolina Central Eagles on 12/4 at 7:00pm.
Continue to support your Men’s Basketball team as they begin their 2019-2020 campaign!
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