Georgia basketball went where no other SEC team did to start the season, lining up back-to-back high-major opponents right out of the gate.

The Bulldogs bounced back from a season-opening loss to Oregon Monday in Las Vegas by taking down their ACC opponent Friday night.

Georgia beat Wake Forest 80-77 in Stegeman Coliseum, opening up a 13-point second-half lead and holding on late to grab its first win since Valentine’s Day.

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The Bulldogs, which got a team-high 21 points from Niagara transfer Noah Thomasson, ended last season with a six-game losing streak.

Here are three takeaways:

Georgia basketball's Jabri Abdur-Rahim makes claim for major minutes

Virginia transfer Jabri Abdur-Rahim started only three of 64 games at Georgia in his first two seasons, coming off the bench every game last season, but he's now a starter.

The 6-foot-8 senior guard followed up his team-high 18 point showing in the opener by carrying Georgia to a 34-26 first half lead, scoring eight straight points with a pair of 3-pointers and two free throws. He finished with 17 points on 5 of 12 shooting, 3 of 6 on 3s, with 4 rebounds.

"It feels good, whatever coach needs me to do to help the team, play a lot, play a little bit," Abdur-Rahim said. "Shoot a lot, shoot a little bit, that's what I'm going to do. Obviously, playing is fun. I'm enjoying it."

Abdur-Rahim averaged 18.7 minutes per game last season. He played a team-high 32 minutes against Oregon and 30 Friday.

"He's a guy this is fourth year, third coach," coach Mike White said. "He's had adversity that most guys don't have to overcome. ...He's just grown. He's got leadership characteristics, is mature and he really cares."

He buried his third 3-pointer of the game to cap a 10-0 run for a 59-50 lead. Freshman Blue Cain dished him the ball after on the previous time down floor hustling for a loose ball and driving in for a layin.

Wake Forest hot and then cold from 3-point line

Wake Forest shot 30.1 percent on 3-pointers in its 101-78 opening win against Elon Monday, but buried 5 of its first 7 and its long-range shooting fueled a 12-1 first-half run to go up 19-12.

The Demon Deacons were 8 of 18 in the first half with six different players accounting for 3s led by two each from Kevin Miller (team-high 22 points) and Cameron Hildreth.

The Demon Deacons made just 3 of 12 in the second half including an attempt from Andrew Carr that would have tied the game with 11 seconds to go and another from Hildreth that rimmed out with 2 to go . Wake was 11 of 30 on 3s in the game.

"We were loading the gaps, trying to keep them out of the paint and they made a lot of big time shots," Thomasson said. "We made an adjustments at halftime and it went our way in the second half."

Wake Forest, picked sixth out of 15 teams in ACC preseason shot just 38.7 percent overall in the first half while Georgia hit at a 50 percent rate.

Point guard Justin Hill wanted to see “a better-flowing offense,” against Wake Forest.

Georgia was clicking with a 73-60 lead with 7:34 to go but a 12-1 Wake Forest run in 1:50 cut the lead to 74-72.

A score from Thomasson (9 of 18 shooting with 5 rebound and 3 assists), a dunk by Jalen DeLoach and a layup from RJ Melendez pushed the lead to eight, but Wake Forest cut the lead to three in the final minute.

"We felt a lot better," Thomasson said. "Offense isn't just making shots or missing shots, it's being connected, being tough. Those things helped us make shots."

Said White: "I thought we played way more connected than we did earlier this week. You're happy about wins of course, but a lot more proud of the significant growth. tonight. ...We're a lot harder to guard when the ball moves."

Georgia forward RJ Sunahara missed his second straight game with a knee injury sustained in the exhibition win on Nov. 30

Georgia Bulldog students represent closer to the court

Georgia’s new student seating had its first chance to make an impact.

Georgia's administration discussed the move with White to bring students closer to the court, filling up nearly the entire lower section opposite the benches.

"I liked that, I liked that a lot," Abdur-Rahim said. "It feels more personal. They're closer. I like that for sure."

The students were on their feet at the start and still standing late in the second half in a crowd of 8,176 while those on other side were more reserved.

Fans were left ooing when Thomasson faked out a Wake Forest player, leaving him on the floor while Thomasson hit a mid-range jumper in the first half.

Georgia also flip-flopped benches from last season with the vistitors.

Georgia plays its first “buy” game of the season Sunday against North Carolina Central at 5 p.m. in Stegeman.

Then it’s more tests in the Bahamas next Friday and Sunday against 2023 Final Four team Miami and either Kansas State or Providence.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia basketball knocks off ACC foe Wake Forest 80-77 or first 1st win