Nick Calathes (Casselberry, Fla.) notched his eighth career double-double against Georgia, but the Bulldogs won an 88-86 decision Saturday from Stegeman Coliseum to bring Florida to 19-6 overall (6-4 SEC) this season.
Calathes scored 16 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out 13 assists as Georgia won its first conference game of the season. Four other Gators scored in double-digits Saturday afternoon, including senior Walter Hodge (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico), who scored a career-high 22 points after hitting a career-high 6-of-8 shots from behind the arc. Sophomore Chandler Parsons (Casselberry, Fla.) chipped in 11 points, while sophomore Alex Tyus (St. Louis, Mo.) and freshman Erving Walker (Brooklyn, N.Y.) contributed 10 each.
Georgia led by 14 points three times in the first half and went into the locker room ahead, 54-47, at the half. A rally by the Gators in the second half closed the gap and Florida took its first lead with 8:03 left in the game when Gator freshman Ray Shipman's (Miramar, Fla.) two free throws made it 77-76, but the late surge wasn't enough to slide by UGA.
Georgia shot 57.4 percent from the field, compared to Florida's 48.5. UGA additionally topped UF in three-point shooting (53.8 percent) and from the charity stripe (80 percent).
Georgia's Terrance Woodbury scored a career-high 32 points against the Gators to end an 11-game Bulldog losing streak as UGA improved to 10-15 overall (1-9 SEC).
Florida returns home to the confines of the Stephen C. O'Connell Center Wed., Feb. 18, when it plays host to Alabama. Tip is set for 7 p.m.
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