The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
12-12, 3-10
Georgia
17-7, 9-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 43 | 46 | 89 |
| Ole Miss | 39 | 43 | 82 |
Ole Miss Falls to Bulldogs, 89-82
2/26/2003 | Men's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - Since returning from a hip injury, Jarvis Hayes has become one of the hottest players in the Southeastern Conference.
Hayes made six 3-pointers and scored a season-high 32 points Wednesday night as No. 21 Georgia beat Mississippi 89-82.
Hayes, who was bothered by a hip flexor in January, scored 23 against Alabama and 26 against South Carolina in his previous two games.
Georgia (17-7, 9-4) has won four straight games.
"We're exactly where we want to be right now," Hayes said. "We're playing good. I'm healthy again and playing good and we've got the two biggest home games of the year coming up."
Georgia hosts No. 2 Kentucky on Sunday, followed by a visit from No. 4 Florida on Wednesday.
"We've kind of flown in under the radar and that's OK," Georgia coach Jim Harrick said. "But these next two home games are huge. We've won four straight games and it's time to make a statement."
The Bulldogs have beaten the Rebels in their last four meetings and lead the series 62-34.
Ole Miss (12-12, 3-10) has lost eight straight games, five to ranked SEC opponents.
"I appreciated our effort tonight. Georgia is just a good team," Mississippi coach Rod Barnes said. "Jarvis Hayes and Ezra Williams are probably the two best players on the same team that I've seen since I started coaching here. Hayes made some NBA plays tonight."
Williams had 21 points for Georgia, while Chris Daniels added 13 and Rashad Wright 11. Wright, No. 2 in the SEC in assists, had nine.
Derrick Allen had 17 points for the Rebels, while David Sanders scored 16, Justin Reed 13 and Trey Pearson and Justin Johnson each had 10.
Aaron Harper, the Rebels' second leading scorer, was held to two points.
In the last seven meetings between Ole Miss and Georgia, the average margin of victory has been 5.7 points.
Mississippi got within 70-65 in the final five minutes before Hayes made two baskets in a 7-0 run that sealed the game.
The Bulldogs shot 57 percent from the field and were 10-for-22 from 3-point range. The Bulldogs are first in the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage at 39.2 percent.
Ole Miss was 34-for-68 from the field and outrebounded Georgia 35-29.
