UK vs Georgia game updates, stats

On By Littum

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ATHENS, GA — Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope and his first-year staff have never met Georgia.

But connections about between the two programs heading into tonight’s game at Stegeman Colosseum.

Pope’s coaching career began at Georgia in 2009 when he joined the staff as the program’s director of basketball operations. The Bulldogs’ coach at the time was Mark Fox, who is now the Wildcats’ associate coach. Pope worked for Fox for one season (2009-10) before leaving to become an assistant coach at Wake Forest.

Fox led the Bulldogs for nine seasons (2009-10 to 2017-18), compiling a 163-133 (.551) record. He also had a head coaching stay at Nevada (2004-05 to 2008-09) and Cal (2019-20 to 2022-23). Fox has a 324-263 (.552) record in 18 seasons as a college coach.

In addition to Fox and Pope, there is another link between this season’s Wildcats and Bulldogs: Somto Cyrila freshman center for Georgia, was originally part of Kentucky’s 2024 signing class. But after former UK coach John Calipari left for Arkansas, Cyril was released from his letter of intent with the Wildcats, eventually signing with the Bulldogs.

Will Pope and Fox leave with a victory over their former employer? Or will Georgia get its third straight home win over seventh-ranked Kentucky in the latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll and is no. 6 in AP Top 25 placements?

Here’s what you need to know to follow today’s match from home:

A 3 at the buzzer by Georgia’s Asa Newell extends Kentucky’s lead; UK trails by 13 points at the break.

This is the Wildcats’ second largest halftime deficit of the season. The biggest? They were down 16 points against Gonzaga. They are looking for a similar result to the one where they came back and won in overtime in Seattle.

Kentucky is shooting 40% (14 for 35) from the field and is just 4 of 13 (30.8%) from the 3-point line. Lamont Butler has 13 points to lead the way for the Wildcats, but no other UK player has more than five.

Georgia made 48.4% (15 for 31) of its field goal attempts in the first 20 minutes. But the Bulldogs made hay at the free throw line, so all 12 of them shot.

Silas Demary Jr. has 11 points for UGA, followed by Blue Cain with 10 and De’Shayne Montgomery with eight.

With 8:02 left in the first half, Kentucky leads Georgia, 23-21.

UK is 10 for 23 (43%) from the field; Georgia is 7 of 19 (37%).

Koby Brea, who knocked down seven 3-pointers as part of a career-high 23-point outing in last week’s game against Florida, will look to play tonight when Kentucky takes on Georgia. Brea had been listed as “questionable” on the SEC’s availability report.

UK coach Mark Pope told the UK Sports Network ahead of tonight’s game that the plan for Brea was to “roll him out there and see how he feels.”

Here are Kentucky’s starters vs. Georgia:

And here’s Georgia’s lineup:

The contest between the Wildcats and Bulldogs will be shown on the SEC Network. John Schriffen (play-by-play) and Richard Hendrix (analyst) will have the call.

Authorized subscribers can access the SEC Network through TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.comWatchESPN app or ESPN+.

You can also stream the SEC Network on Fubo, which offers a free trial version.

Tom Leach (play-by-play) and Jack Givens (analyst) will call the UK radio network at 840 in Louisville and both at 630 and 98.1 FM in Lexington.

You can also listen online via UKAthletics.com.

Betting odds: Kentucky is a 2-point road favorite (-110) at DraftKingswhich set the over/under to 152 ½ points (-108). Money line odds are Kentucky -135, Georgia +114.

  • 23 October: exhibition vs. Kentucky Wesleyan ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 123, Kentucky Wesleyan 52
  • 29 October: exhibition vs. Minnesota State Mankato ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 98, Minnesota State Mankato 67
  • November 4: vs. Wright State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 103, Wright State 62
  • November 9: vs. Bucknell (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 100, Bucknell 72
  • November 12: vs. Duke (Champions Classic; State Farm Arena, Atlanta) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 77, Duke 72
  • November 19: vs. Lipscomb, (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 97, Lipscomb 68
  • November 22: vs. Jackson State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 108, Jackson State 59
  • November 26: vs. Western Kentucky (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 87, Western Kentucky 68
  • November 29: vs. Georgia State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 105, Georgia State 76
  • Dec. 3: at Clemson (ACC/SEC Challenge) ∣ SCORE: Clemson 70, Kentucky 66
  • December 7: vs. Gonzaga (Climate Pledge Arena; Seattle) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 90, Gonzaga 89 (OT)
  • December 11: vs. Colgate (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 78, Colgate 67
  • December 14: vs. Louisville (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 93, Louisville 85
  • December 21: vs. Ohio State (CBS Sports Classic; Madison Square Garden, New York) | SCORE: Ohio State 85, Kentucky 65
  • December 31: vs. Brown (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 88, Brown 54
  • January 4: vs. Florida (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 106, Florida 100
  • Jan. 7: at Georgia, 7 p.m. 19, SEC Network
  • Jan. 11: at Mississippi State 7 p.m. 8:30 p.m., SEC Network
  • January 14: vs. Texas A&M (Rupp Arena), at 7 p.m., ESPN2/ESPNU
  • January 18: vs. Alabama (Rupp Arena), noon, ESPN
  • Jan. 25: at Vanderbilt, 2:30 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
  • Jan. 28: at Tennessee, 7 p.m. 19, ESPN
  • February 1: vs. Arkansas (Rupp Arena), at 21, ESPN
  • Feb. 4: at Ole Miss, 7 p.m. 19, ESPN
  • February 8: vs. South Carolina (Rupp Arena), noon, ESPN/ESPN2
  • February 11: vs. Tennessee (Rupp Arena), at 19, ESPN
  • Feb. 15: at Texas, 7 p.m. 20, ESPN
  • February 19: vs. Vanderbilt (Rupp Arena), at 19, SEC Network
  • Feb. 22: at Alabama 6 p.m., ESPN
  • February 26: at Oklahoma 9 p.m., SEC Network
  • March 1: vs. Auburn (Rupp Arena), 1/4 p.m., ABC/ESPN
  • March 4: vs. LSU (Rupp Arena), at 7/9 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU
  • March 8: at Missouri, noon, ESPN/SEC Network

Record: 12-2 (1-0 SEK)

  • Ansley Almonor (forward, senior)
  • Koby Brea (Guard, Candidate)
  • Lamont Butler (Guard, Candidate)
  • Andrew Carr (Forward, Candidate)
  • Collin Chandler (guard, freshman)
  • Grant Darbyshire (guard, junior)
  • Brandon Garrison (forward, sophomore)
  • Walker Horn (guard, junior)
  • Kerr Kriisa (guard, senior)
  • Trent Noah (forward, freshman)
  • Otega Oweh (guard, junior)
  • Travis Perry (guard, freshman)
  • Jaxson Robinson (Guard, Candidate)
  • Zach Tow (forward, junior)
  • Amari Williams (Center, Sophomore)

Georgia went 20-17 overall last seasonwith a marking of 6-12 SEC game. Its season ended in an 84-67 loss to Seton Hall in the semi-finals of National Inviational tournament.

The Bulldogs are 12-2 this season. They dropped a game in non-conference play (to Marquette in the Bahamas). UGA, which is 0-1 in conference competition, suffered a 63-51 setback at Ole Miss last week.

Georgia has defeated Kentucky in consecutive games at Stegeman Coliseum and has a seven-point victory in 2023 (75-68) and a one-point triumph in 2021 (63-62). The Bulldogs are undefeated at home this season (9-0) and have won 11 straight at Stegeman dating back to last season; it is tied for the sixth-longest home hitting streak in school history.

Click here to view the Bulldogs’ full 2024-25 schedule.

Want to learn the Bulldogs’ roster?

Click here for player bios and more.

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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and soccer reporter Ryan Black at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.