LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Andrew Harrison scored a season-high 23 points and combined with Karl-Anthony Towns for key baskets down the stretch that helped top-ranked Kentucky stop pesky Georgia 69-58 on Tuesday night.
Twice on the verge of running away from a Georgia squad playing its second straight game without leading scorer and rebounder Marcus Thornton (concussion), the Wildcats (22-0, 9-0 Southeastern Conference) saw their margin dwindle near the end.
Harrison’s layup with 3:58 remaining provided a 62-54 lead before baskets by Yante Maten and Nemanja Djurisic pulled the Bulldogs to 63-58 with 2:06 left. Towns’ short jumper with 1:33 left got the lead to seven, and Tyler Ulis and Harrison each added two free throws in the final minute for the Wildcats.
Towns finished with 15 with a career-high 13 rebounds.
Djurisic’s 17 points led Georgia (14-7, 5-4), which outrebounded Kentucky 36-24. Maten added 13 points and nine rebounds for the Bulldogs, whose nine offensive boards helped them stay nearly even in the paint against the taller Wildcats.
But Georgia couldn’t get the rebounds it needed in the final minutes while Kentucky did. Willie Cauley-Stein came up with one leading to Harrison’s clinching foul shots, and Towns sealed the game with a block and rebound at the end.
Devin Booker had nine points and Ulis eight for Kentucky, which played its second straight game without freshman forward Trey Lyles because of an illness. While his absence hurt the Wildcats, Towns more than made up for it with two good halves after struggling to finish off strong starts.
Thornton’s second straight absence created an even bigger obstacle for Georgia after losing by 17 at South Carolina. The Bulldogs initially appeared out of sync as a result, as Djurisic lost his dribble out of bounds following Harrison’s game-opening basket.
Kentucky took advantage to lead 11-1 within four minutes thanks to four points each from Towns and Harrison, who were just getting started. The duo combined to shoot 9 of 16 from the field for 23 points, including 10 down the stretch to provide a 42-27 halftime lead just when the Bulldogs were making it competitive.
Georgia eventually trailed by 18 early in the second half before drawing to 51-42 with a 15-7 run over 4:04. The Bulldogs didn’t go away but couldn’t closer than five in the final minutes.
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TIP-INS
Georgia: Bulldogs sophomore forward Brandon Kessler made his first start this season and had seven first-half points. … Coach Mark Fox gets another chance for his 100th victory with the program on Saturday against Tennessee.
Kentucky: Among the spectators was Oscar Robertson, who mingled with fellow Naismith Hall of Famer and former Wildcats coach Joe B. Hall. … Towns and Cauley-Stein (6 points, 5 rebounds) combined for all 10 of Kentucky’s first-half rebounds.
UP NEXT:
Georgia: Hosts Tennessee on Saturday.
Kentucky: Visits Florida on Saturday.
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