ATHENS — The University of Georgia men’s basketball team won its second consecutive game at home with a victory over the Sam Houston State Bearkats 75-64 in Stegeman Coliseum on Friday night.

Sophomores Rayshaun Hammonds(15) and Nicolas Claxton(13) led the night in points. They led in rebounds as well with seven and eight respectively. Georgia also shot 76 percent from the free throw line comparing 29-of-38 to Sam Houston State’s 5-of-7.

“The thing I tell these guys is, and it really played out tonight, momentum is always up for grabs and the game is always giving you something,” said Georgia head coach Tom Crean. “It might not be through the textbook, it might not be through the script, it might not be through the game plan, but we got to find it. Anybody can capture momentum, just like anybody can lose, and the other team knows the same thing. But the game was giving us something.”

Claxton had the first points of the night with a pair of free throws and a layup, the first of 10 Bulldogs to score in the opening half. The lead changed six times in the half including three times in the last 10 minutes. Georgia (3-1) claimed its largest lead of the half with 27 seconds remaining, a 38-32 margin, from a freshman Tye Fagan 3-pointer. The Bulldogs entered intermission with the score at 38-33.

Coming back to the court, the Bearkats(2-3) went on a seven-point run to take the edge from Georgia. After each team traded the lead back and forth, the Bulldogs used an 11-point run to gain the lead 61-55, which Georgia kept for the rest of the game. Five Claxton points, a pair of free throws from junior Tyree Crump and a senior E’Torrion Wilridge layup forced a Sam Houston State timeout. After the timeout, the production continued: Claxton claimed the defensive rebound and found Hammonds down the court for the dunk.

At the 13-second mark, a layup from Fagan gave Georgia a 13-point advantage, the largest of the night, over the Bearkats 74-61. Sam Houston State sank a three to quell the margin to 11 but it was not enough to influence the 75-64 Georgia victory.

The Bulldogs produced eight blocks on the night, spread between Claxton(3), Wilridge(2), senior Derek Ogbeide(2) and Hammonds(1).

The Bulldogs take to the skies for the Caymans Classic in Grand Cayman on November 19-20 where they will face Illinois State and others.