Mississippi @ Georgia preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 23, 2019 ) Georgia 71, Mississippi 72

Georgia coach Tom Crean was disappointed with his team’s effort last weekend at Mississippi State, but even though the Bulldogs fell short at No. 14 Kentucky on Tuesday, he saw encouraging signs as his team prepares to host Ole Miss on Saturday. The Bulldogs trailed by 10 points nearly eight minutes in, but fought back to take a brief lead, and in the second half closed within three points twice before Kentucky pulled away for an 89-79 victory.

“That team battled tonight,” Crean told reporters after the Bulldogs lost for the fourth time in five SEC games. “To come back from the way we didn’t battle against Mississippi State to battle the way we did (Tuesday) in this environment says a lot.” Saturday’s matchup features two teams with a combined one conference victory, as the Rebels losing streak stretched to six games Tuesday at Tennessee with a 73-48 setback. Senior guard Breein Tyree leads the SEC in scoring in conference games at 26.8 points and surpassed the 1,500-point career mark Tuesday, but was limited to 18 points (four in the first half) on 7-for-22 shooting. “We got outclassed in every phase,” Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis told the media postgame.

TIME: 5:30 p.m. ET. TV: SEC Network

ABOUT OLE MISS (9-9, 0-5 SEC): Tyree came into the Tennessee game averaging 29.7 points on 50.8 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range in his three previous games. Overall, Tyree is third in the SEC in scoring at 18.9 points for a Rebels team that lost its first four SEC games by an average of 8.5 points. Junior guard Devontae Shuler averages 10.3 points while ranking in the top 10 in the SEC in steals (1.7 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7).

ABOUT GEORGIA (11-7, 1-4): Guard Anthony Edwards scored 16 points against Kentucky, all in the second half, and is the nation’s highest-scoring freshman at 18.9 points (second overall in the SEC). Sophomore guard Tye Fagan, who came into Tuesday averaging 3.9 points, scored 14 points in 15 minutes against Kentucky on 6-for-6 shooting from the field. Junior center Rayshaun Hammonds averages 13.9 points and 8.2 rebounds, finishing with 16 points and eight boards Tuesday.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. After Saturday, the Rebels host No. 16 Auburn on Tuesday before traveling to SEC leader LSU on Feb. 1.

2. The Bulldogs are 9-1 this season at home, the lone defeat a 78-69 setback to Kentucky on Jan. 7.

3. Ole Miss swept the season series from Georgia in 2018-19 as Tyree averaged 24 points in the two victories.

PREDICTION: Georgia 76, Ole Miss 62