Georgia pulls away from Missouri for 9th straight win

Russel Tchewa scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Georgia defeated Missouri 75-68 in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams Saturday in Columbia, Mo.

Justin Hill scored 16 points, Noah Thomasson scored 15 and Silas Demary Jr. added 10 for the Bulldogs (11-3, 1-0), who extended their winning streak to nine games.

Sean East II led Missouri (8-6, 0-1) with 18 points and eight assists. Tamar Bates scored 15, Aidan Shaw had a career-high 14 points and Noah Carter added 13 for the Tigers, who have lost four of their last five games.

The Bulldogs led by as many as 17 points in the first half before the Tigers climbed back into the game. After Missouri took a 65-63 lead with 4:45 left to play, Georgia outscored the Tigers 12-3 the rest of the way.

Overall, Georgia made 12-of-28 shots from 3-point range and built a 23-3 advantage in points off the bench.

The Bulldogs opened the game with torrid shooting. They made 7-of-9 shots from the floor -- including 3 of 4 from 3-point range -- to take an early 17-12 lead.

Carter kept Missouri in range by making his first three shots, include a pair from behind the arc. Then the Tigers went cold, missing 11 consecutive shots.

Thomasson hit deep 3-pointers on consecutive possession to spark a 16-0 run as Georgia pushed its lead to 35-18 with 5:50 left in the half.

The Tigers stabilized with Bates hitting a 3-point jumper and converting a conventional 3-point play on a drive to the basket. That started a 20-5 surge closing the first half as Missouri cut its deficit to 40-38.

Tchewa muscled up to score three baskets in the paint plus a free throw as the Bulldogs expanded their lead to 50-44 with 15:33 left to play. But Georgia stalled offensively midway through the half, allowing Missouri to rally.

With 11:23 to play, East drove for a reverse layup to put Missouri up 57-56 -- its first lead since the first two minutes of the game.

Jabri Abdur-Rahim settled the Bulldogs with a 3-point jumper to put Georgia up 61-59 with 8:21 left.

After Shaw scored inside on consecutive possessions to put Missouri up 65-63, the Bulldogs' 9-0 run decided the game.