ATHENS — Justin Abson and Tyrin Lawrence were not on the floor for Blue Cain’s go-ahead 3-pointer in Georgia basketball’s upset of No. 3 Florida on Tuesday night.
The veteran bench pieces were subbed off the floor seconds before one of the bigger shots in recent program history, taking the Bulldogs (17-11, 5-10 SEC) one step closer to the NCAA Tournament.
Underclassmen led UGA statistically — much like they have all season — in the 88-83 upset, resulting in a Stegeman Coliseum court-storming.
But Georgia coach Mike White leaned on Abson and Lawrence to take just enough of a lead to outlast a surging Gators offense.
Abson, known as “Big IQ” for his basketball savvy and passing ability in the paint, connected with Lawrence on UGA’s final basket before the Cain 3-pointer. Abson vacated the paint to pick a steal from Florida’s top guard, Walter Clayton Jr., and slapped the ball out in front of Lawrence.
Lawrence beat everyone to the loose ball and cashed the fast-break layup for a 78-67 lead with 5:04 remaining.
The Bulldog offense fell silent for over four minutes before Cain retook the lead — and the momentum — for good.
Abson impressed with several flashy passes, earning five assists and individual praise from UGA coach Mike White.
“Five assists to one turnover for your backup center,” White said. “He’s really, really skilled, and he’s a quick thinker. He’s got a great feel, basketball IQ.”
White also commended Abson for how he handled the volatility of his role this season. Abson arguably has seen more variety in playing time than any of his teammates.
The Appalachian State transfer averaged less than five minutes per SEC game before Georgia’s off-week. He also missed four conference games entirely, including three wins.
Abson was asked to play 20 minutes against Florida and delivered with five points, five assists, three rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Lawrence overcame his own playing time challenges Tuesday night. The senior returned to action after missing three games with a hamstring injury.
The compression sleeve on Lawrence’s leg was the biggest evidence of injury in his return, as he tied an SEC season-high with 14 points.
A career 29% 3-point shooter, Lawrence made two momentous 3-pointers out of his four shots from deep. The Vanderbilt transfer also made all four of his foul shots.
Lawrence put his hamstring to the test with 25 minutes of playing time, some of which were spent as UGA’s primary ball handler. The Monticello product has been Georgia’s primary point guard while starter Silas Demary Jr. is off the floor.
“Tonight, I think my leg gave out one time, but I’m getting it back, and I’m just glad to be back,” Lawrence said. “Just watching from the sideline, you know, I want to get in and help them as much as I can, but I’m just glad to be back where I can actually actively help them instead of trying to coach them. I’m not a coach.”
Lawrence brings a rare amount of SEC experience to Georgia’s roster. He is the only Bulldog who transferred from another program within the conference after playing three seasons for the Commodores.
Lawrence’s veteran mindset showed as he spoke to reporters after the Florida upset.
“It’s not really huge for us,” Lawrence said. “I know we celebrate it, but we kind of expected to be one of the best teams in SEC this year. So I’m glad we were able to showcase that tonight.”
Georgia’s postseason resume is far from finished. The Bulldogs are sitting on the same NCAA Tournament bubble as Texas, who will host UGA at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Veteran experience from players like Abson and Lawrence could be key as the stakes are raised.
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