LSU: post mortem

The cruel irony of that game is that, had Georgia simply lost in regulation, I wouldn't be feeling all that bad today.  Instead, it turned into one of the hardest losses I've had to swallow in a very long time.

I had already accepted the loss at 64-56.  Georgia put up a good fight, but some timely 3-point shooting by LSU had kept them at arms length.  It looked like just another road loss to a good LSU team.  As big as a win would have been, I was ready to move on to Vanderbilt.

Then I began celebrating the win up by 8 in the first overtime.  I mean, come on.  Up 8.  With 1:30 left.  There is almost no conceivable way to blow a lead like that.

Needless to say, the loss left me fairly despondent, and quite possibly overreacting about the ramifications.  The Bulldogs are by no means eliminated from the tournament chase.  The reality of an 0-2 start to conference play can't be ignored, though.  The margin of error is back to being dangerously thin:

• Full disclosure:  I watched the game on tape delay, so I missed the first few minutes thanks to the Kansas State OT win.  I picked up as they were cleaning blood off the court - in fact, I still don't even know whose blood it was.
• Before we get into the minutiae of the game, can we please fix the charge call already?  A charge should be very, very rare.  Everyone is afraid to take the ball to the basket at this point because the refs are in love with the charge.  Let's stop rewarding defenders for falling down and start asking them to play defense.  It'd be a lot more fun to watch.
• I try to keep it positive around here, even in trying times, so let's start with the good stuff:  namely, Kenny Gaines, who was exactly the player Georgia needs him to be last night.  He was aggressive, he took smart shots, and he hit all 8 of his free throws.
• Cameron Forte was a pleasant surprise as well.  10 points, 6 rebounds, and 0 turnovers.  Yes, please.
• Yante Maten also had his moments.  His steadily improving play is a great sign.  His offense even showed up last night.  His one missed free throw was admittedly a big one, but the fact that he went 5-6 should not be overlooked.
• Marcus Thornton was a mixed bag.  He was an absolute beast on the boards, and Georgia never would have made it to OT without his tip-in to finish regulation.  With that said, his free throw shooting really hurt, and his decision to shoot into a double-team, up 8, with less than 2 minutes left in OT and 20 seconds remaining on the shot clock was inexcusable for a veteran like him.  I suspect he'd tell you as much, too.
• The buzzer beating 3 to end the first half ended up coming back to haunt Georgia too, as those things often do.
• Georgia's inability to get good shots at the end of either OT was concerning.  In each case they had over 20 seconds on the clock.  The first ended with a rushed Frazier 3-point attempt, and the second ended with a Charles Mann turnover (though there was a lot of contact on that play).
• And what can we say about Mann at this point?  It is probably time to send him back to the bench in favor of J.J. Frazier.  His inability to hit free throws and cut down his turnovers are killing Georgia right now.  Bringing him off the bench worked well in Chattanooga, so maybe it's worth another try.
• Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out yet another game where Georgia dominated its opponent on the glass and still managed to lose.  Why?  Free throws and turnovers (20!).  Is this getting old yet?

There's no time for pouting.  That's our job as fans.  Mark Fox has to rally the troops and get them ready for Nashville, a place where Georgia doesn't win very often.  It's as close to being a must-win game as you'll get this early in the season.