LEXINGTON, KY. — Georgia hadn't beaten Kentucky in 16 meetings.
Jarvis Hayes and Ezra Williams were determined to make sure the eighth-ranked Wildcats weren't going to win a 17th straight.
The two combined to shoot 19-of-32 from the field and made key baskets down the stretch as the Bulldogs beat Kentucky, 88-84, Wednesday .
Hayes scored a career-high 30 points and Williams added 20 as Georgia (13-2, 2-0 SEC) won in Lexington for only the third time in school history.
"We knew coming in it was going to be tough," said Hayes, who was 12-of-18 from the field. "We knew with the crowd on their side, we'd have to come in and make a statement. I think we did."
The two couldn't hide their emotions after the buzzer.
A jubilant Williams went straight to the television broadcast team and slapped hands with both of the announcers, shaking his head and saying, "No respect, no respect."
Jules Camara had a career-high 16 points, Tayshaun Prince and Rashaad Carruth each had 15 and Gerald Fitch added 13 for Kentucky (9-4), which lost its second straight and dropped to 0-2 in the conference for the first time since 1978-79.
"We're not playing well defensively and we're not making plays," Kentucky coach Tubby Smith said. "We lack the toughness to make the clutch plays down the stretch."
The game was up for grabs until the final moments.
Hayes hit an off-balance jumper in the lane to put the Bulldogs up 84-82 with 1:02 remaining.
Following a free throw by Georgia's Rashad Wright with 33 seconds to play, Cliff Hawkins missed a running jumper in the lane instead of backing the ball out and setting up a three-point attempt.
Up 85-82, the Bulldogs blocked shots by Hawkins and Keith Bogans in the paint and went 3-of-4 from the free throw line over the final 30 seconds to preserve the victory.
"There was no doubt in our minds in those last minutes," Hayes said.
"We knew we were going to win. We just had to finish it."
Chris Daniels and Jonas Hayes each had 13 points for the Bulldogs, who have won eight of their last nine games.
"We haven't won that many times up here," Georgia coach Jim Harrick said. "You have to fight for respect at Georgia."
Kentucky led by as many as eight points in the first half and led 53-48 lead at halftime.
"We didn't execute at all in tough situations," Smith said. "We've lost two overtime games and now this one. That's not a good sign. We've got to find a way to win close games."
Although the Bulldogs got outrebounded 36-30 overall, Steve Thomas grabbed 11 rebounds and Daniels added 10.
No. 3 Florida 104, Tennessee 100 OT
Knoxville, Tenn. Brett Nelson scored 20 points, including two key free throws and a three-pointer in overtime, to help Florida extend its winning streak to 12 games. Florida (13-1, 2-0 SEC) trailed by three points with 10 seconds left in regulation before Nelson's three-pointer with 3.1 seconds to go tied it at 94 to force overtime.
Jon Higgins tied it in overtime for the Vols (6-7, 1-1), but Nelson's fourth three-pointer of the game put Florida ahead for good at 99-96. Vincent Yarbrough finished with 26 points for Tennessee.
No. 4 Maryland 112, North Carolina 79
College Park, Md. Juan Dixon had 29 points as the Terrapins registered the most lopsided victory in the 79-year-old rivalry and scored the most points ever allowed by the Tar Heels. Maryland (12-2, 2-0 ACC) led by as many as 41 points and easily eclipsed its 25-point rout of North Carolina in February 1939. Steve Blake had a career-high 14 assists for the Terrapins, who opened the second half with a 19-8 run to go up by 31.
Jason Capel scored 27 points for the Tar Heels (5-7, 1-2), who narrowly avoided absorbing the most lopsided ACC defeat in school history.
Purdue 84,
No. 9 Illinois 75
West Lafayette, Ind. Rodney Smith had 17 points to lead six Purdue players in double figures and the Boilermakers avoided their first 0-3 start in the Big Ten in 38 years.
Illinois, which lost at Wisconsin on Saturday, held a one-point halftime lead. But the Boilermakers scored the final four points of the first half and opened the second by scoring the first five to lead 45-44 and they never trailed again.
The Boilermakers (9-8, 1-2) were 35-for-46 from the free throw line.
Frank Williams finished with 23 points for the Illini (12-4, 1-2), who have lost two straight.
No. 13 Iowa 70, Northwestern 60
Iowa City, Iowa Reggie Evans scored 21 points and Luke Recker added 20 to lead the Hawkeyes (13-4, 2-1 Big Ten) to their seventh win in eight games. Jitim Youngs had 16 points to lead Northwestern (8-5, 0-2).
No. 14 Alabama 92, Vanderbilt 79
Tuscaloosa, Ala. Erwin Dudley scored a season-high 24 points and Alabama made 31 of 36 free throws in the second half. The Crimson Tide (14-2, 2-0 SEC) were 11-of-12 from the line over the final five minutes to overcome some hot three-point shooting by the Commodores (10-5, 0-2).
Chuck Moore had 13 of his 18 points in the second half for Vanderbilt.
No. 16 Boston College 88, Villanova 81 OT
Villanova, Pa. Troy Bell hit a floater in the lane with 6.5 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime and finished with 36 points for the Eagles (13-2, 2-1 Big East).
Bell was 10-of-21 from the field and 13-of-14 at the free throw line. Kenny Walls added 21 points for Boston College.
Gary Buchanan had 22 points for Villanova (9-3, 2-1), which turned the ball over five times in overtime. All its losses this season have been in overtime.
No comments
Commenting is turned off for this story.