INDIANAPOLIS — Despite a late push in the second half, Georgia's season came to a close after falling 84-67 against No. 1 seed Seton Hall in the NIT semifinal at the Hinkle Fieldhouse on Tuesday.
Early shooting struggles saw Georgia jump out to a slow start, trailing 10-2 heading into the first media timeout. Seton Hall continued to find rhythm offensively, going up 18-3 after five minutes and forcing a Bulldogs timeout. They did not get closer than nine the rest of the way.
Georgia showed signs of getting back in the mix as it sparked a quick 8-2 run, but the Pirates held firm and took a 42-25 lead heading into the locker room.
“Just wasn’t our night," Georgia coach Mike White said. "We had some decent looks early that didn’t go, and we tightened up a little offensively. Really struggled to find way to convert from two, from three, but credit Seton Hall’s defense."
Silas Demary Jr. led the way for the Bulldogs (20-17, 6-12 SEC) in scoring with 19 points along with four assists, three rebounds and two blocks. Noah Thomasson joined in on double digit figures with 10 points and four rebounds while RJ Melendez tallied nine points and four boards.
Both teams traded scores early in the second half as Seton Hall pushed forward to take a 20-point advantage. Seton Hall’s largest lead reached 24, 62-38, with 13:22 left in the second half.
Looking to spark a comeback bid, the Bulldogs found some momentum in the final 10 minutes as they cut the deficit to 11 points at 73-62 with 5:36 left in the game. Georgia came to the brink of cutting the gap to single digits, but it ultimately fell short as the Pirates held on to its lead as time expired.
"These guys accomplished a lot. Getting to the NIT final four, it’s an honor to be a part of this tournament,” White said. "It was an emotional locker room. These guys enjoy playing with one another."
