Streaking Georgia holds off Texas A&M
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Georgia overcame a rare low-scoring game from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and beat cold-shooting Texas A&M 52-46 on Saturday, giving the Bulldogs five straight Southeastern Conference wins for the first time in 12 years.
Caldwell-Pope, second in the SEC with his average of 17.8 points per game, had only 10 points -- all on free throws. He preserved his streak of scoring in double figures in every game when he sank two free throws with 17 seconds remaining to help hold off a late comeback attempt by the Aggies.
Nemanja Djurisic led Georgia (12-11, 6-4) with 13 points. The Bulldogs have won five straight SEC games for the first time since winning six straight in 2001.
Fabyon Harris led Texas A&M (14-9, 4-6) with 17 points. Elston Turner had 13 points despite making only 2 of 14 shots from the field.
The Aggies, who lost 59-52 at home to Georgia on Jan. 26, were swept in the season series.
Georgia won despite making only 12 shots from the field. Led by Caldwell-Pope's perfect 10-for-10 shooting, the Bulldogs made 25 of 32 free throws.
Texas A&M made only 4 of 22 shots (18.2 percent) in the half and trailed 25-16 at halftime. The Aggies shot only 24 percent from the field (12 of 50) for the game, easily its lowest mark of the season.
Caldwell-Pope, who had a least a share of Georgia's scoring lead in 20 of 22 games before Saturday, missed his only three shots from the field as the Bulldogs struggled against Texas A&M's tight defense.
A 3-pointer by Djurisic early in the second half -- the first 3 of the game for either team -- gave Georgia a 28-18 lead. Caldwell-Pope made two free throws to stretch the lead to 12 points.
Harris sank three 3-pointers in a 14-5 run for Texas A&M to cut the lead to 35-32. Georgia recovered with eight unanswered points, including 3-pointers by Vincent Williams and Sherrard Brantley, for a 43-32 lead.
Texas A&M cut the lead to four points at 50-46 before Caldwell-Pope's final free throws.
The Aggies, coming off a 70-68 win over No. 21 Missouri, were 0 for 7 from the field against Georgia before Elston Turner's baseline jumper with 12:10 remaining in the first half.
Georgia's Donte Williams fouled out with 4:35 remaining, less than a minute after the Aggies' Harris left the game with four fouls.
Kourtney Roberson had 12 rebounds for Texas A&M.