Noah Thomasson scores 21, Georgia beats Wake Forest 80-77

0:18

Noah Thomasson drills bucket after ankle-breaking crossover for Georgia

Noah Thomasson sends his defender to the floor with a crossover, then drains a step-back jumper for Georgia.

Nov 11, 2023, 03:00 am

ATHENS, Ga. -- — Noah Thomasson scored 21 points, including 13 in the second half, to lead five Georgia players scoring in double figures and the Bulldogs beat Wake Forest 80-77 Friday night.

Jabri Abdur-Rahim added 17 points and Russel Tchewa 11 for Georgia (1-1). RJ Melendez and Silas Demary Jr. scored 10 points apiece.

Thomasson hit 3-pointers to open and close a 20-6 run that gave the Bulldogs a 69-56 lead with 9 minutes to play. Hunter Sallis and Kevin Miller each hit a 3 before Andrew Carr converted a three-point play that capped a 12-1 spurt that cut the Demon Deacons deficit to 74-72 with 4:48 left but Thomasson answered with a jumper 19 seconds later and Wake Forest got no closer.

Miller had 22 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals for Wake Forest (1-1) and Carr finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. Sallis scored 13 points on 5-of-18 shooting and Cameron Hildreth added 12 points.

Georgia plays North Carolina Central at home on Sunday. Wake Forest takes on Utah at the Charleston Classic on Thursday.

------ Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here ------ AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball