ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Josiah-Jordan James scored a career-high 23 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers that gave No. 13 Tennessee the lead early in the second half, and the Vols overcame a slow start to beat struggling Georgia 75-68 on Tuesday night.
Georgia led 44-43 following a 3-pointer by Kario Oquendo. James answered with his 3s on consecutive possessions, and another 3 from James capped Tennessee's 11-0 run for a 54-44 lead.
Tennessee (22-7, 13-4 Southeastern Conference) began the day tied with No. 14 Arkansas and No. 7 Kentucky for second place in the league, one game behind No. 5 Auburn.
Kennedy Chandler had 16 points for the Vols.
Georgia (6-24, 1-16) suffered its 10th consecutive loss since beating Alabama on Jan. 25, its only SEC win. The Bulldogs have lost 18 of 19 games.
Aaron Cook led Georgia with 17 points and Kario Oquendo had 16.
Tennessee took a 64-49 lead but couldn't put the game away. Georgia closed the deficit to four points but couldn't score on two possessions when it had the opportunity to pull even closer.
Back-to-back baskets by John Fulkerson helped the Vols stop Georgia's comeback.
The Bulldogs enjoyed a rare streak of explosive offense in the first half to cap an 8-0 run.
Oquendo started a streak of three consecutive jams by the Bulldogs when he scored following a steal and assist by Christian Wright. Jabri Abdur-Rahim added a dunk following a steal by Noah Baumann before Oquendo's powerful one-handed jam on a fast break gave the Bulldogs a 24-18 lead.
There were scattered boos for Georgia fourth-year coach Tom Crean during pregame introductions. Crean fell to 47-73 overall and a dismal 15-56 in SEC games in his fourth season.
The 24 losses this season are the most in Georgia history. The Bulldogs have one more opportunity to avoid finishing the season with only one conference win for the first time in the program's history.
BIG PICTURE
Tennessee: Led by James' long-distance shooting, the Vols enjoyed a strong recovery from a sluggish first half. The Vols struggled defensively in the first half, allowing the Bulldogs to make 51.7% of their shots from the field and claim a 22-16 advantage in the paint. Only five 3-pointers, including three by Santiago Vescovi, allowed Tennessee to settle for a 35-35 halftime tie.
Georgia: The Bulldogs can't be accused of giving up on Crean or the season. Even so, their performance remained too flawed to sustain a strong first half. The Bulldogs' 12 turnovers were a problem, but the more telling was Georgia's deficit on the boards. Tennessee had a 39-28 advantage in rebounds.
UP NEXT
Tennessee: Closes its regular season at home on Saturday when it plays No. 14 Arkansas. The Vols lost at Arkansas 58-48 on Feb. 19.
Georgia: At Missouri on Saturday to end its regular season.
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