Georgia falls to Oregon in season opener, 82-71

LAS VEGAS — Despite a game-high 18 points from senior Jabri Abdur-Rahim, the Georgia men’s basketball team fell in its season opener to Oregon, 82-71, inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The Bulldogs also had RJ Melendez and Blue Cain reach double figures, each with 12 points. Abdur-Rahim cashed in on nine free throws and added five rebounds, marking the first game of his career with at least 15 points and five boards. In his first collegiate game, Cain shot five-of-11 from the field, including a pair of three-pointers.

Georgia trailed early but managed to pull the score within four points at the beginning of the second half. The Ducks used their advantage on the glass to continuously make scoring runs and keep the Bulldogs at bay, totaling 21 offensive rebounds. Oregon led by as many as 20 points in the second half, but Georgia responded by getting its deficit down to single digits with just over a minute remaining. The Bulldogs were unable to mount the comeback, though, eventually dropping its first contest of the season.

Georgia will return to action on Friday, Nov. 10 for its home opener against Wake Forest at 7 p.m. ET, which will be televised on the SEC Network. The Bulldogs hold a 4-3 lead in the series but fell on the road to the Demon Deacons last season on Nov. 10, 2022.

Five Fast Facts
• Georgia made 10 3-pointers in the game, which is tied for the third-most made in a game under Mike White.
• Russel Tchewa had five points and nine boards, putting the graduate one shy of his 16th time reaching double-digit rebounds.
• True freshman Silas Demary Jr. was the lone first-year player to start in the contest, scoring eight points, all in the second half.
• The Ducks out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 63-41.
• Oregon is picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 in its media poll.

Key Quote
Head coach Mike White: “The ball stuck a little bit – we weren’t crisp enough. It’s difficult, but you know Oregon is dealing with the same thing. Maybe not quite to the same extent. They’ve got a really good nucleus back, credit them and their program and everything that they’ve accomplished since Dana [Altman] has been there. We’re trying to build something and we’ve got to do a better job. I thought we’ve had better cohesiveness and connectivity offensively and defensively leading into this one, but a good program like that will expose you. That’s why you play these games, so you can self-evaluate. It’ll be rocking in the Steg.”

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