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UPDATE: Bulldogs NIT Title hopes Collapse.
Despite a late push in the second half, the Georgia men’s basketball team’s 2023-24 season came to a close after falling 84-67 against No. 1 seed Seton Hall in the National Invitational Tournament semifinal at the Hinkle Fieldhouse on Tuesday.
Silas Demary Jr. led the way for the Bulldogs (20-17, 6-12 SEC) in scoring with 19 points along with four assists, three rebounds and two blocks. Noah Thomasson joined in on double digit figures with 10 points and four rebounds while RJ Melendez tallied nine points and four boards.
Early shooting struggles saw Georgia jump out to a slow start, trailing 10-2 heading into the first media timeout. Seton Hall continued to find rhythm offensively, going up 18-3 after five minutes and forcing a Bulldogs timeout. Georgia showed signs of getting back in the mix as it sparked a quick 8-2 run, but the Pirates held firm and took a 42-25 lead heading into the locker room.
Both teams traded scores early in the second half as Seton Hall pushed forward to take a 20-point advantage. Looking to spark a comeback bid, the Bulldogs found some momentum in the final 10 minutes as they cut the deficit to 11 points at 73-62 with 5:36 left in the game. Georgia came to the brink of cutting the gap to single digits, but it ultimately fell short as the Pirates held on to its lead as time expired.
Five Fast Facts
• Silas Demary Jr. led the Bulldogs in scoring (19) for the ninth time this season.
• Silas Demary Jr. set a new career-high in minutes played with 36.
• Silas Demary Jr. matched a career-high two blocks against Seton Hall.
• Noah Thomasson scored in double digits for the 27th time this season and matched his season-high of one block against Seton Hall.
• Georgia outscored Seton Hall in bench points 29-14.
Key Quote
Head Coach Mike White: “Just wasn’t our night. We’d like to credit Seton Hall of course. Got respect for their program and wish them all the success in the world here in their last one. We wish we were there. Tonight was a microcosm of really this entire season with this team in that we showed a lot of resiliency. Really struggled to find way to convert from two, from three, but credit Seton Hall’s defense of course. Their physicality, their wall-ups, their gap discipline in forcing a lot of kicks. We had some decent looks early that didn’t go, and we tightened up a little offensively. The last 30 minutes of the game, especially the last 15 or so, this team did what it’s done all year, and that’s just keep fighting. These guys enjoy playing with one another. It was an emotional locker room. These guys accomplished a lot. Getting to the NIT final four, it’s an honor to be a part of this tournament.”
