Georgia’s tournament hopes are slipping away after losing five of their last six games.

Georgia returns to Stegeman on Tuesday in a near must-win situation against the Florida Gators. The Bulldogs have dropped five of their last six games and have watched their tournament hopes dwindle. With just 10 games left in the conference schedule, they are running out of time to get things turned around.

Georgia stepped back out of conference this past weekend to take part in the Big 12/SEC challenge against Kansas State. The Bulldogs once again led late but watched it slip away in a 56-51 loss. Yante Maten was one of three scorers in double figures but Georgia shot just 37 percent for the game and were 2-18 from 3-point range.

That has been the prevailing theme throughout this stretch of losses. Georgia has often done enough defensively but just haven’t been able to come up with enough offense behind Maten to close out games.

After a hot start to the season, Turtle Jackson is shooting just 28 percent from the field in conference play. That doesn’t include a 1-for-10 performance in Saturday’s loss at Kansas State. Early on Rayshaun Hammonds looked like he could provide solid scoring next to Maten but he too has slumped in conference play averaging 5.3 points on 34 percent shooting. Jordan Harris and Tyree Crump have had their moments but no one has stepped forward on a consistent basis.

Things won’t get any easier on Tuesday against the Gators who enter the contest with a 15-6 record overall and a 6-2 conference mark. Florida throttled Baylor 81-60 in the challenge Saturday behind 20 points from Chris Chiozza. Jalen Hudson added 17 off the bench while Egor Koulechov chipped in 16.

The Gators average 80.7 points per game with four different players averaging in double figures led by Hudson at 16.5. They shoot 39 percent from 3-point range as a team so Georgia’s perimeter defense will get put to the test.

The final 10 game stretch will be challenging for Georgia. In addition to Tuesday’s matchup with the Gators, the two teams will meet again on Valentines Day in Gainesville. The Bulldogs have home games remaining against Auburn, Tennessee, LSU and Texas A&M. They have road games at Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Tennessee in addition to the rematch against the Gators.

That is a difficult stretch for sure but one that provides an opportunity to get back in the tournament picture.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Tuesday, January 30, 7 p.m. ET

Location: Stegeman Coliseum, Athens, Georgia

TV: SEC Network

Streaming: WatchESPN

Radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network