The Georgia Bulldogs’ basketball season isn’t over yet.
But they barely survived a 21-point upswing by visiting Xavier in the second half of the National Invitation Tournament, which kicks off during the more heavily watched NCAA basketball tournament.
The Dawgs led impressively in the first half, outscoring the Musketeers by 12 points. But Xavier fought back and fought hard to erase the Dawg’s lead in the second quarter. The Musketeers outscored the Bulldogs by ten points in the second half, led by their highest scorer of the night, Desmond Claude, with 30 points total.
The game went to the bitter end with 1.9 seconds remaining and a goaltending call which put the ball in the hands of Xavier with Georgia ahead by a basket. But Xavier doesn’t make the crucial shot, and the Dawgs advance by a final score 78-76.
Silas Demary Jr. scored the most points for Georgia, at 16, with 3 rebounds and 4 assists.
The Dawgs now advance in a postseason tournament for the first time since 2016. They will now face whoever wins the Wake Forest and Appalachian State game in the next round.
Story updated 3/25/24 to reflect UGA’s involvement in the NIT and not the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
