The SEC’s two best defenses controlled the first half, allowing few good shots. Then the Volunteers defense began to play its best offense, using a full-on press to force turnovers and score easy points.

“We had a blatant possession one time where we had three guys in the pressing attack and two guys who weren’t in the pressing attack, and that’s unacceptable,” UGA coach Mike White said. “But then we had four or five others where the defense was just better than the offense.”

Tennessee scored 19 points off Georgia’s 19 turnovers. It was UGA’s largest losing margin of the season.

Senior point guard Zakai Zeigler led the Volunteers’ defense with six steals, breaking the school career record with his 213th. Zeigler also helped spark Tennessee’s offense with 16 points by shooting 4 of 8 from long range.

Photo credit: AP

Photo credit: AP

Asa Newell led Georgia with 13 points and five rebounds.

The Bulldogs also struggled on the glass, an area where they are typically the dominant team. Tennessee beat Georgia 35-29, including 18 offensive rebounds.

“We actually did a poor job of blocking them the entire game, whether it was the first half or early second half,” White said. “We didn’t match their intensity on the glass.”

Slow starts to the second half have killed Georgia in both SEC road games this season.

Similar to Wednesday, the Bulldogs held a 28-26 halftime lead over No. 24 Ole Miss in their SEC opener. Then things collapsed early in the second half when Ole Miss finally took control with an 18-4 run took control.

“At the start of the second half we were just different defensively and found ourselves in a hole pretty quickly there,” White said. “Then we stalled a little bit offensively, which allowed (Jahmai) Mashack and Zeigler to crawl into our defense and beat us.”

Georgia had a tough exchange with Tennessee in the first half and had a total of 15 fouls. Tennessee’s largest lead of the half was an early 5-2 lead.

The Volunteers led for the first 10 minutes before UGA scored its biggest run of the half. Blue Cain converted a basket at 7:17 for an 18-17 lead before both offenses sat silent for nearly three minutes.

Newell completed UGA’s 4-0 run with two free throws at 3:32.

Newell went on another 4-0 run to give Georgia its largest lead of the half, a 26-21 lead. The 6-foot-2 forward hit two more free throws before making a strong layup with 1:12 left.

The Volunteers hit right back, hitting two late baskets to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 26-25 at halftime.

The toughest week on Georgia’s schedule ends Saturday at 1 p.m. when No. 1 Auburn comes to Stegeman Coliseum. The Bulldogs will look to extend their home winning streak to 14 games against the Tigers (16-1, 4-0).