A fast start gave way to a cold-shooting second half for the Georgia basketball team on Saturday afternoon in Missouri.

The Bulldogs closed their regular season with a 79-69 loss to the Tigers, simply not deep enough or tall enough to contend in this SEC matchup, losing for the 11th-straight game after being out-rebounded 43-24.

“The bottom line is the rebounding, and we’re not nearly physical enough,” Coach Tom Crean said. “There needs to be more of competitiveness to fight on that glass.”

Braelen Bridges led Georgia with 19 points, while Kario Oquendo scored 17 points and Aaron Cook added 16.

Georgia will play at 8 p.m. on Wednesday night against the No. 11 seed Vanderbilt (SEC Network) in the opening round of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Commodores beat the Bulldogs earlier this season, 85-77, on Jan. 29 in Nashville, Tenn.

The Bulldogs (6-25, 1-17 SEC) had looked to bring some momentum into the SEC tourney, which will be played in Tampa, Fla., this week.

Georgia jumped out to a 16-2 lead on Missouri (11-20, 5-13) after Oquendo split free throws on consecutive trips down the floor.

The Bulldogs were still in control at halftime, up 39-30, even while the Tigers were utilizing their size advantage to pull down key offensive rebounds that kept them in the game.

Bridges, however, looked to be in line for a career day.

The 6-foot-11 Bridges — the only healthy rotational UGA player over 6-7, scored 14 of his points through the first 20 minutes on 6-of-8 shooting as the Bulldogs were a scorching 56 percent from the floor.

The Tigers steadily cut into the Georgia lead as the second half wore on, tying the game at 51-51 with 12:12 remaining on Javon Pickett’s second-chance bucket.

Picket’s basket triggered a decisive 14-3 run that left Missouri up 64-54 with 6:24 left, with Pickett capping the run with yet another layup.

Georgia, has it has done throughout the season despite its lopsided record, continued to battle and chopped the lead back down to six at 73-68 with 1:40 left.

Oquendo drove the line and was fouled, stopping the clock and putting the Bulldogs in position to draw closer with free throws.

Instead, Oquendo missed both shots from the charity stripe, and opportunity was lost.

Georgia, which entered the day second in the SEC in free-throw shooting (75.2), straggled from the line in a game they needed it most, making 21 of 33 (63.6).