ATHENS — Georgia overcame a rare low-scoring game from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and beat cold-shooting Texas A&M 52-46 on Saturday, giving the Bulldogs five straight Southeastern Conference wins for the first time in 12 years.
Caldwell-Pope, second in the SEC with his average of 17.8 points per game, had only 10 points — all on free throws. He preserved his streak of scoring in double figures in every game when he sank two free throws with 17 seconds remaining to help hold off a late comeback attempt by the Aggies.
“Every player on the team is contributing,” said Caldwell-Pope, a sophomore.
“I believe in my team and my teammates believe in themselves. I had a bad night. I wasn’t feeling real good. I was just trying to get the ball to whoever was scoring the most.”
Nemanja Djurisic led Georgia (12-11, 6-4) with 13 points. The Bulldogs have won five straight SEC games for the first time since winning six straight in 2001.
Fabyon Harris led Texas A&M (14-9, 4-6) with 17 points. Elston Turner had 13 points despite making only 2 of 14 shots from the field.
The Aggies, who lost 59-52 at home to Georgia on Jan. 26, were swept in the season series.
Georgia won despite making only 12 shots from the field. Led by Caldwell-Pope’s perfect 10-for-10 shooting, the Bulldogs made 25 of 32 free throws.
Texas A&M made only 4 of 22 shots (18.2 percent) in the half and trailed 25-16 at halftime. The Aggies shot only 24 percent from the field (12 of 50) for the game, easily its lowest mark of the season.
“We had opportunities to score and we didn’t do it, and Georgia’s defense had a lot to do with that,” said Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy.
Caldwell-Pope, who had a least a share of Georgia’s scoring lead in 20 of 22 games before Saturday, missed his only three shots from the field as the Bulldogs struggled against A&M’s tight defense.
A 3-pointer by Djurisic early in the second half — the first 3 of the game for either team — gave Georgia a 28-18 lead. Caldwell-Pope made two free throws to stretch the lead to 12 points.
Harris sank three 3-pointers in a 14-5 run for Texas A&M to cut the lead to 35-32. Georgia recovered with eight unanswered points, including 3-pointers by Vincent Williams and Sherrard Brantley, for a 43-32 lead.
Texas A&M cut the lead to four points at 50-46 before Caldwell-Pope’s final free throws.
The Aggies, coming off a 70-68 win over No. 21 Missouri, were 0 for 7 from the field against Georgia before Turner’s baseline jumper with 12:10 remaining in the first half.
Georgia’s Donte Williams fouled out with 4:35 remaining, less than a minute after the Aggies’ Harris left the game with four fouls.
Kourtney Roberson had 12 rebounds for Texas A&M.
TEXAS A&M (14-9)
Roberson 2-6 0-0 4, R. Turner 0-4 4-6 4, Harris 6-11 2-3 17, Caruso 0-4 0-0 0, E. Turner 2-14 9-11 13, Young 1-3 2-4 4, Reese 1-5 2-2 4, Jahns 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 12-50 19-26 46.
GEORGIA (12-11)
D. Williams 2-4 0-2 4, Morris 2-6 1-3 5, Florveus 1-4 1-2 3, Caldwell-Pope 0-3 10-10 10, V. Williams 2-4 2-2 7, Mann 0-0 5-6 5, Dixon 0-1 0-0 0, Gaines 0-3 2-2 2, Brantley 1-3 0-0 3, Cannon 0-0 0-0 0, Djurisic 4-9 4-5 13. Totals 12-37 25-32 52.
Halftime—Georgia 25-16. 3-Point Goals—Texas A&M 3-17 (Harris 3-6, Jahns 0-1, Caruso 0-2, Reese 0-2, E. Turner 0-6), Georgia 3-9 (V. Williams 1-2, Brantley 1-2, Djurisic 1-3, Caldwell-Pope 0-2). Fouled Out—Caruso, D. Williams. Rebounds—Texas A&M 33 (Roberson 12), Georgia 37 (Florveus 8). Assists—Texas A&M 3 (Roberson 2), Georgia 8 (Morris 3). Total Fouls—Texas A&M 25, Georgia 22. Technicals—Harris, Caldwell-Pope, Mann. A—7,380.