The Red and Black

By JON GALLO Staff Writer

Atlanta - For a team that has found every way to lose this season, Georgia finally discovered a way to win in a big game, as the Bulldogs beat Mississippi State 79-76 in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tourna-ment on Thursday.

Perhaps making the biggest discovery Thursday afternoon in the Georgia Dome was Michael Chadwick. The junior forward hit two free throws with 28.2 seconds left to give the Dogs their first lead of the second half, 77-76, after trailing by as many as 11.

"I guess I finally got my game back at the biggest time of the year - in the postseason," said Chadwick, who led the Dogs in scoring for the first time this season with his game-high 19.

However, Chadwick wasn't the only Bulldog who found himself, as guard Ray Harrison made the play of the game defensively, deflecting Bart Hyche's entry pass to Horatio Webster with 12.3 seconds left into the hands of Larry Brown, who was fouled immediately.

"I saw the pass coming, and I just went for the steal," said Harrison. "If I had missed, we would have been in big trouble."

With Georgia still clinging to a one-point lead, Brown knocked down both free throws to provide the final margin, as the Bulldogs finished the day from the line making 29-of-30 free throws.

And with Georgia shooting just 38 percent from the floor, the Dogs needed every shot from the charity stripe.

"We have too many good shooters on this team to not be able to get to the free throw line," said guard G.G. Smith, who scored 13 points on 3-of-11 shooting and was the only Bulldog to miss a free throw.

While Georgia's offense was mediocre at best when it wasn't at the free throw line, it was the Dogs' defense that made Chadwick's and Harrison's heroics possible.

After giving up a season-high 47 points in the first half, the Dogs' press got them back into the game.

"Early on, we were nervous and they took advantage of it offensively," Georgia head coach Ron Jirsa said. "But in the second half, our press really calmed us down because we started getting our hands on the ball and forcing some turnovers."

Early on, it was all Mississippi State, as it scored the game's first eight points before Chadwick's two free throws got Georgia on the scoreboard.

But MSU responded by pounding the ball inside with Webster and center Tyrone Washington, who scored 10 and eight points respectively in the first half to lead the Bulldogs.

In the second half, Georgia was able to come up with an answer to stop the duo, as Washington finished with a team-high 18 points, but Webster was held to four points in the game's final 20 minutes. He finished his career at MSU with 14 points.

"We just weren't picking them up defensively and moving them away from the basket," Brown said. "But in the second half, I thought we did a better job and made it tough for them to establish position inside."

Four Bulldogs scored in double figures, as Brown chipped in 15 and Jumaine Jones added 18 and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Georgia plays Ole Miss today at 3:15 p.m. in the second round.

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