The Georgia men’s basketball team lost 68-54 in a back-and-forth game against Florida on Wednesday night in Stegeman Coliseum in its final home game of the 2019-20 season. The loss shifts the Bulldogs’ overall record to 15-15 and their conference record to 5-12.

The Bulldogs’ last chance to earn one more win will be Saturday at LSU before heading to Nashville for the SEC tournament on March 11. Here are some observations from The Red & Black:

An early lead slips

Georgia gained an early lead in the first half. Five minutes into the game, Georgia led 19-6. After the 15:00 mark, Florida went on a 19-6 run to work the score back to 25-25 with 2:25 left to play. The remaining time of the first half was a basket to basket battle back and forth that resulted in the Bulldogs leading 30-28 at halftime. 

Halfway through the second half of the game, Florida had taken the lead 45-40. The Gators earned their largest lead of the night by leading 64-52 with 1:26 to play. The Bulldogs were hardly able to respond for the remainder of the game and ended up losing by 14 with a score of 68-54. 

3-point shut down

In the first half, Georgia kept Florida from sinking any 3-pointers, as the Gators were 0-for-10 from behind the arc. It wasn’t until just over three minutes into the second half that Gator guard Scottie Lewis made Florida’s first 3-point jumper of the night. 

Over the first half, Georgia went 4-for-10 from the 3-point line, and in the second half went 1-for-5 for a total of 5-for-15 on the night. Florida improved its 3-point shooting in the second half and went 7-for-13 for a total of 30% from 3-point range on Wednesday night.

Hammonds stays hot in first half

Junior Rayshaun Hammonds, who scored 22 points and had nine rebounds against Arkansas on Feb. 29, led the Bulldogs offensively in the first half. He had 10 points and seven rebounds at the half. Hammonds shot 57% from field goal range and 67% from 3-point range in the first half. 

In the second half, he only scored two points but picked up three more rebounds for a total of 12 points and 10 rebounds. This earned him his fifth double-double of the season. 

Three who mattered

Anthony Edwards: In what has become typical fashion, the freshman led the Bulldogs’ offense with 14 points. He also had four rebounds and three assists.

Jordan Harris: On senior night, Harris led the trio of himself, Tyree Crump and Donnell Gresham Jr., as they played in their last ever home game. He had seven points and four rebounds. 

Keyontae Johnson: The sophomore forward had a double-double for the Gators on Wednesday night. He ended the game with 18 points and 11 rebounds, as well as two assists and three steals.