NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Rayshaun Hammonds had 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Georgia shot 55% to beat Mississippi 81-63 in Wednesday night's opener of the Southeastern Conference Tournament.
Jordan Harris added 21 points and Sahvir Wheeler 15 for the 13th-seeded Bulldogs (16-16), who never trailed and led by 17 early in the second half. They shot 56% in the first half and made nine of their first 14 after halftime to halt a two-game slide that ended the regular season.
"On the offensive side of the ball, it's all about the movement of the ball," Georgia coach Tom Crean said. "It's everything about that. We settled for jumpers in the LSU game, can't do that against anyone, let alone LSU. Today, the jumpers came because we were inside-out, five-six passes, we were four passes, and we made the next pass, for the most part, no matter what it was."
Georgia also made 7 of 18 from long range against No. 12 seed Ole Miss to end a three-game series losing streak to the Rebels. Hammonds made 9 of 13 from the field and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc for his seventh 20-point game this season and second in four contests. Harris shot 8 of 11 overall and made 3 of 4 from long range.
Breein Tyree scored 18 points and Devontae Shuler 17 for Ole Miss (15-17), which got within 66-57 with six minutes remaining before Georgia extended the lead to double digits. The Rebels shot 42%, including just 2 of 15 from 3-point range, and were edged 33-32 on the boards.
BIG PICTURE
Georgia: With highly-touted freshman Anthony Edwards tying a season-low with just six points on 2-of-13 shooting and 1 of 9 from deep, upperclassmen Harris and Hammonds picked up the slack. They also had a highlight moment as Wheeler drained a half-court, buzzer-beating 3 to end the first half. That’s a sure sign things were going well.
Mississippi: The Rebels never really got in an offensive flow and struggled to contain Georgia’s shooters. That combination dug a hole they tried all game to climb out of, getting within nine midway through the second half but no closer.
UP NEXT
Georgia faces No. 5 seed Florida in Thursday’s second round.
Mississippi's season is over.
