ATHENS – Georgia basketball picked up a crucial conference win while most of the SEC was asleep Wednesday night.

The Bulldogs (16-7, 4-6 SEC) beat LSU 81-62 without the benefit of a full Stegeman Coliseum, likely due to the 9 p.m. weeknight tipoff.

The win seemed vital for a team fighting to maintain its fringe NCAA Tournament status, considering the Tigers (12-10, 1-9) represented UGA’s only unranked opponent in February.

Georgia figures to have a much stronger home crowd on Saturday when it fights for a more impressive SEC win over No. 22 Mississippi State at 6 p.m.

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