St. Louis Billikens Crush Georgia Bulldogs in March Madness Opener

Billikens dominate in the paint and on the boards to end Georgia's season

Mar. 20, 2026 at 4:20am

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The University of Georgia faced off against St. Louis University in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, but the Bulldogs were no match for the Billikens. St. Louis jumped out to a big early lead and never looked back, cruising to a 102-77 victory over Georgia. The Billikens outscored the Bulldogs 49-32 in the first half and then opened the second half on a 23-0 run to put the game out of reach. St. Louis controlled the paint, outscoring Georgia 36-12 in the first half, and dominated the boards, outrebounding the Bulldogs 30-16 in the opening 20 minutes.

Why it matters

This loss ends Georgia's season after the Bulldogs made the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. The Billikens, meanwhile, advance to the second round and continue their strong campaign. St. Louis was one of the top offensive teams in the country this season, and they proved too much for the Bulldogs to handle.

The details

St. Louis was led by a balanced scoring attack, with four players scoring in double figures. Dion Brown paced the Billikens with 16 points, while Robbie Avila dished out several assists to spark the offense. Georgia's Jeremiah Wilkinson did his best to keep the Bulldogs in the game, scoring a team-high 30 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome St. Louis' dominance in the paint and on the boards.

  • The game was played on March 19, 2026 in Buffalo, New York.
  • St. Louis jumped out to a 49-32 lead at halftime.

The players

Robbie Avila

The star player for St. Louis University, Avila dished out several assists to spark the Billikens' offense.

Jeremiah Wilkinson

The leading scorer for the Georgia Bulldogs, Wilkinson had 30 points in the losing effort.

Dion Brown

One of four St. Louis players to score in double figures, Brown led the Billikens with 16 points.

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What they’re saying

“We must have been a little too hyped up for the tournament. St. Louis just came out and punched us in the mouth, and we couldn't recover.”

— Mike White, Georgia Bulldogs Head Coach

What’s next

St. Louis will advance to face the winner of the Gonzaga-Providence game in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

This lopsided loss is a disappointing end to Georgia's season, but the Bulldogs can be proud of making the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. St. Louis proved to be the superior team, dominating in the paint and on the boards to cruise to a comfortable victory and advance in March Madness.