Georgia, freshman star Asa Newell take on Texas Southern

Led by freshman phenom Asa Newell, Georgia looks to ride its momentum into its matchup Saturday against the Texas Southern Tigers in Athens, Ga.The Bulldogs (1-0) beat Tennessee Tech 83-78 on Monday but that wasn’t the headline from their season opener.Newell, a 6-foot-11, five-star recruit, led the team with 26 points and 11 rebounds, tying Georgia and NBA great Dominique Wilkins’ record for scoring in a freshman debut at the school. The Florida native became Georgia’s third-highest-rated commit in school history, behind Anthony Edwards and Lou Williams.”He’s a winning player,” Georgia head coach Mike White said of Newell. “Six offensive rebounds, he’s in passing lanes defensively, he’s altering shots at the rim. He’s mature beyond his years, he’s an accountable player and Asa has high basketball character. … It’s pretty cool to see his name in the same sentence as Dominique Wilkins.”Newell wasn’t the only newcomer contributing in the first game. Mount St. Mary’s transfer Dakota Leffew chipped in 18 points off the bench, while Clemson transfer RJ Godfrey added 10 points and 10 rebounds.Georgia, which is looking to build off its first 20-win season since 2015-16, hosts the Tigers for the second time ever. The Bulldogs previously topped Texas Southern 92-75 in December 2018.

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