Georgia basketball earns season opening win over Western Carolina

Georgia basketball defeated Western Carolina 68-55 in head coach Mike White’s debut.

The new era of Georgia Bulldogs basketball is here. Georgia defeated Western Carolina 68-55 in head coach Mike White’s debut.

Guard Kario Oquendo, last season’s leading scorer, lead the Bulldogs with 18 points. Georgia used a strong defensive start to build a 37-22 halftime lead the Dawgs never trailed.

Georgia attempted only 10 three-pointers in the the win over Western Carolina. The Bulldogs outrebounded Western Carolina 42 to 26. Turnovers were a big issue for Georgia. The Dawgs coughed up the basketball 21 times.

Syracuse transfer Frank Anselem contributed 11 points and four rebounds in just 13 minutes, but he had five turnovers. Returning key player Braelen Bridges played 20 minutes and scored four points along with six rebounds and four assists.

So far, so good for Georgia basketball in the Mike White era. Georgia is coming off a brutal 6-26 season and is not predicted to make much noise in the SEC, but returned several key pieces and should be much more competitive this season.

Next up for the men’s team is a road trip to Wake Forest. Georgia-Wake Forest tips off at 8:30 p.m. EDT on Friday, Nov. 11. The Wake Forest game will represent a big challenge for Georgia basketball.

Additionally, Georgia women’s basketball won a 78-61 home game over Coastal Carolina. New Georgia women’s basketball coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson is also off to a 1-0 start.

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