Georgia holds off Winthrop 74-64

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) J.J. Frazier didn't know about his first career double-double until it was too late.

''I haven't had time to brag yet,'' he said.

Frazier didn't find about his performance until he read the stat sheet in the interview room. That's when Georgia's 5-foot-10 junior guard realized he had scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds in the Bulldogs' 74-64 victory over Winthrop on Tuesday night.

Georgia's Yante Maten scored a career-high 24 points and had 12 rebounds to help the Bulldogs hold off the Eagles (6-2).

Frazier had a career-high 11 rebounds once last season, and entered averaging 4.2 per game this season.

He had five by halftime and helped Georgia (4-3) outrebound Winthrop 45-33.

''Well, he's fast,'' Georgia coach Mark Fox said. ''Oftentimes the rebound goes to the fastest guy to the ball, and J.J. has a very high basketball IQ. He's quick, so he chases a lot of them down.

''He's probably going to stick his chest out with a double-double.''

Frazier also had five of Georgia's 17 assists on 21 baskets.

''As a team, when we feed off each other, it's hard to guard everyone,'' he said. ''We don't want to put pressure on one guy to do all the scoring, so it's easier when everybody's involved. And that makes it easier to play defense.''

Maten, a sophomore, has set his career high three times this season, and scored at least 20 points in four consecutive games.

''We wanted to get the ball to Yante, who had a real good night,'' Fox said.

Georgia led 47-30 six minutes into the second half, but Winthrop cut the lead to 57-51 on Roderick Perkins' 3-pointer with 7:51 remaining in the game.

The Eagles couldn't get it closer than six points as the Bulldogs scored 19 of their final 21 points from the free-throw line.

''You always have to credit (Georgia's defense),'' Winthrop coach Pat Kelsey said. ''I'm not a big fan of when coaches say we just didn't make shots. You have to tip your cap to Georgia and the way they defended us early on.''

The Bulldogs made sure they didn't have a repeat of their 68-66 loss to Kansas State on Friday, when they blew a 12-point lead.

''I wasn't thrilled the first 30 minutes with it, but we certainly were better at the end of the game and our defensive rebounding was a big difference,'' Fox said.

Keon Johnson led Winthrop with 21 points, Perkins scored 14 and Jimmy Gavin added 11 points.

Charles Mann added 14 points for the Bulldogs.

Georgia played without leading scorer Kenny Gaines, who was out with an injured knee. Gaines is day-to-day, Fox said.

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TIP-INS

Perkins hit four 3-pointers, half of Winthrop's eight in the game. The Eagles were 8-of-23 from the 3-point line (34.8 percent).

Georgia took advantage of 26 fouls called on Winthrop, shooting 29-of-36 from the foul line (80.6 percent). Mann led the Bulldogs by going 9-of-10.

MILESTONE WAITS

Gaines, who didn't play, entered the game needing 11 points to reach 1,000 for his career. He's averaging 16.5 points a game this season.

EXTENDED BREAK

Both teams head into finals and won't play again until next week.

Winthrop started a three-game road trip that includes stops at Alabama and Georgia Southern.

HOT SHOTS

Winthrop shot 87.5 percent from the free-throw line (14-of-16).

HOT STREAK

Maten is the first Georgia player to score at least 20 points in four consecutive games since Trey Thompkins accomplished the feat in five straight in February 2011.

UP NEXT

Winthrop at Alabama on Dec. 16.

Georgia vs. Georgia Tech on Dec. 19.