With the clock winding down, fans in Stegeman Coliseum rose to their feet. They broke out in a small ovation as Georgia and Western Carolina began forming their postgame handshake line.
As the teams began acknowledging one another, junior guard Smurf Millender jumped up and attempted one last shot after the buzzer sounded.
Even that one sailed through the net.
Add it to the list of things that went well for Georgia basketball on Thursday night, as it defeated Western Carolina, 112-82, in a game where three Bulldogs either achieved or tied their season high in points. The win also marked Georgia’s fifth time surpassing 100 points this season, matching the 1990 team for most in a single season.
Still, an unsatisfied group of Bulldogs sat at the postgame podium.
“I’m a little disappointed in our effort overall,” coach Mike White said. “Defensively, lack of communication, some miscues — it’s just not important enough to us right now.”
It was not too long ago that Georgia basked in any win, let alone a 30-point one where it scored over 100 points. But those days are over. Georgia, who was ranked in the AP Top 25 poll on Monday for the first time in nearly a year, has bigger expectations.
The Bulldogs are seeking their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, a feat they haven’t accomplished since 2002. They know achieving their goal requires a strong start in SEC play, which demands a better performance than the one they showcased against Western Carolina.
“I just know what’s coming in our league,” White said.
Georgia dominated all facets of its matchup with the Catamounts. It out-rebounded them, 37-26, out-shot them, 59.3% to 50.8% and forced 16 turnovers, including 10 in the first half.
But the Bulldogs want to play better defensively. The 82 points by Western Carolina were the third-highest total surrendered by Georgia in a game this season.
It also did not play as hard or physical as Western Carolina did, according to White.
“We really wanted to take a step defensively in the right direction tonight,” White said. “It’s got to be more important defensively. We’ve got to be more committed collectively, if we’re going to guard some high-level offenses in the SEC.”
White’s sentiment echoed down to the players, who believed they had more to give after their win.
“Today wasn’t our best showing of how we compete as a team,” said sophomore guard Jeremiah Wilkinson, who led Georgia with 26 points.
Georgia’s high-tempo offense can make it challenging to succeed on defense due to the demands of the style of play. The scheme involves running the court at a quick pace, causing fatigue from its players.
The Bulldogs employ an 11-deep lineup — with 11 players receiving at least nine minutes against Western Carolina — to combat the exhaustion but still have adjustments to make.
“We didn’t play defense good in general,” Wilkinson said. “We know we’re going to put up the points. We play fast, we shoot a lot of 3’s, but we’ve got to lock in on what we need to get better at every game … There’s a lot of things from this game that we see that we need to hone in on, that we need to fix.”
Georgia passed nearly every test it’s had this season with its lone loss coming to Clemson in overtime. The Bulldogs entered Thursday’s game against Western Carolina leading the country in scoring offense, fast break points, scoring margin and blocks.
The Bulldogs have two more non-conference games remaining — against West Georgia and Long Island University — before SEC play begins Jan. 3 against Auburn.
“This team is really, really good,” said sophomore center Somto Cyril, who set a career-high with 14 points against Western Carolina. “We have so much potential. I believe that this team is so much better than people really give us credit for.”
There are few certainties around Georgia, but one is clear: The Bulldogs are never going to be satisfied — even with a 30-point victory.
And that’s a telling sign for a program with big ambitions.
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