Midget Held To 18 As Dawgs Win

Georgia rallies, beats USC 66-61

Posted on 02.13.10

Seth Emerson, The State

ATHENS, Ga. | Jeremy Price scored 16 points in his first start of the season, including the go-ahead points with 1:09 remaining, and Georgia rallied to beat South Carolina 66-61 on Saturday.

Georgia made nine straight free throws in the final 2:09, including four by Trey Thompkins in the final 14 seconds. Thompkins led the Bulldogs (11-12, 3-7 Southeastern Conference) with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Devan Downey and Brandis Raley-Ross each had 18 points for South Carolina (14-10, 5-5).

South Carolina led 52-42 with 9:10 remaining following a 3-pointer by Downey. Georgia rallied, pulling to within 59-58 on a three-point play by Price before taking the 60-59 lead with two free throws by Price with 1:09 remaining.

Travis Leslie, who had 15 points, added two free throws with 34 seconds remaining for a 62-59 lead.

Downey, who leads the SEC with 23 points per game, missed three shots in the final 30 seconds.

Price started for Albert Jackson, who was in uniform but did not play following his arrest Friday on an outstanding warrant stemming from a misdemeanor hit-and-run of a parked car in an Athens parking lot two years ago.

Jackson, a 6-foot-11 senior, was released after paying a $380 bond. He averages 3.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Georgia is 4-8 in its last 12 games, with its only other wins in that span coming against ranked teams — Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

Downey suffered an ankle injury in practice Monday but still had 24 points in the Gamecocks' 77-71 win over Florida on Wednesday. He made only 6 of 22 shots against Georgia.

South Carolina, which took a 78-77 home win over Georgia on Jan. 30, suffered its second loss in its last five games.

Downey was only 1-for-7 from the field for two points before sinking two 3-pointers in the final 50 seconds of the first half for a 31-31 halftime tie.

Raley-Ross hit a 3-pointer to open South Carolina's second-half scoring, and his second 3 of the half gave the Gamecocks the lead at 43-41.

Downey's first basket of the second half, a 3-pointer, stretched the lead to 10 points at 52-42 with 9:10 remaining.