The numbers don’t agree with the Georgia men’s basketball team going into Fayetteville and swiping a win from Arkansas Sunday.

The Bulldogs are 0-6 on the road in the Southeastern Conference and 1-10 for the season in games played in gyms not named Stegeman Coliseum.

But this is Arkansas, a team that offers an equally unimpressive SEC record, 1-12, and since back-to-back victories over Texas and Oklahama has underachieved.

The key for Georgia has been proven in its only two SEC wins. The Dogs need to get off to a quick start, establish confidence and sustain focus for 40 minutes of play.

“It always feels good when you have a big lead because if you make a few mistakes you know the other team won’t surge ahead so quickly,” said Georgia senior guard Corey Butler.

In wins over Florida and Vanderbilt, Georgia built double-digit leads early, keeping both the team’s and the crowd’s momentum spiked throughout the contest.

Basketball is a game of runs, and this season Georgia has not been able to overcome long stretches of disparity. Against Vanderbilt, the Bulldogs were able to take a stand.

“We had a couple of offensive and defensive breakdowns, but the main thing we kept reiterating to the guys was to remain composed,” Butler said. “We’re not sitting here wasting time, why fold now?”

In what has been a down year for the SEC, Georgia still could pose a threat in the opening rounds of the conference tournament if it can keep cultivating a winning attitude.

It sounds outrageous given Georgia underwhelming moments this season, but last year the Bulldogs’ conference record was 4-12 heading into the SEC Tournament. Sound familiar?

“It’s a relief to be in the win column for a change,” freshman guard Dustin Ware said. “Hopefully we can keep playing hard like we did [against Vanderbilt] and take it to Arkansas and get a win up there.”