Recap - University of Georgia V.S St. Louis, First Round Of March Madness

Mar 19, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Georgia Bulldogs forward Justin Abson (25) rebounds the ball with guards Jeremiah Wilkinson (5) and Blue Blue Cain (0) against the Saint Louis Billikens during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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First Half:

The University of Georgia faced off against St. Louis University in the first round of March Madness. Here is how the game went down. 

UGA started off slow on offense and defense, allowing easy shots and not taking good shots. UGA doesn’t score until 17:20, and St. Louis took a quick 6-0 lead. St. Louis’s star, Robbie Avila is about as good as marketed. He dished out assists and made it look easy in the first half. 

St. Louis turned up the heat by going on a 12-0 run in the middle of the first half to go up by 19. In the first half, St. Louis outscored UGA in the paint 36-12. The number 4 offense in the country doesn’t look like it as they have only scored 18 points with 5 minutes left in the half. 

Mar 19, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mike White looks on against the Saint Louis Billikens during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Billikens found a way to outsize the Dawgs even though Georgia is considered a bigger team. In the first half, the Billikens outrebounded the Dawgs 30 to 16. All the while, taking a page out of the Dawgs rulebook by pushing the court quickly. 

UGA’s Jeremiah Wilkinson had 16 points in the first half. Somto Cyril was quite in the first half, he did not provide any electric plays that could have changed any momentum. UGA goes into bonus with 9 minutes leeft in the first half, but does not take advantage of the opportunity.

The Dawgs go into halftime down 49-32. They go into the locker room hoping to find something that will keep their season alive.

Mar 19, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Saint Louis Billikens forward Ishan Sharma (9) shoots the ball against Georgia Bulldogs forward Kanon Catchings (6) during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Second Half:

St. Louis starts the second half by going on a 23-0 run, just like how they started the game. UGA is off to another slow start, allowing easy rebounds and layups. The Dawgs find themselves in their largest deficit all season, trailing by 35. 

With 16 minutes left in the half, the Dawgs have only scored 32 points. St. Louis did a great job of scoring in the paint and not allowing UGA to score much inside the arch. However, Georgia did show some pride down the stretch in the second half by going on an 8-0 run of their own. 

St. Louis’s Dion Brown scored 16 points, paving the way for the Billikens. At one point in this game, the Billikens doubled the Dawgs points. With 11 minutes left in the game, St. Louis led by a score of 78-47. 

Mar 19, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard Marcus Millender (4) drives to the basket against Saint Louis Billikens guard Quentin Jones (1) during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

UGA only has a field goal percentage of 31% with 10 minutes left. The only offensive hope UGA had was Jeremiah Wilkinson, as he led the team with 30 points. The second highest is Marcus Millender with only 10 points. 

The clock moved quickly as neither team had a plan to slow the clock. With 4 minutes left, the Billikens had 100 points. The Dawgs tried to limit the damage by throwing up three balls, but they rarely saw anything fall. 

The University of Georgia never saw a lead. St. Louis won by a score of 102-77. The Dawgs' season ends short of what they were hoping for. They ended their season with a record of 22-11. Don’t hang your head on the result of this game, but be proud that the Dawgs have been in the tournament for two years in a row.

Mar 19, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard Jeremiah Wilkinson (5) drives to the basket against Saint Louis Billikens guard Dion Brown (13) during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images