Road Test at No. 14/11 Georgia Awaits on Sunday Andrew Hile UAA Florida fell to the Bulldogs in a close matchup during the SEC-opener, 73-69, in early January Game Information: Feb. 6 | 1 p.m. ET Live Stream: SEC Network Radio: 98.1FM/850AM WRUF Live Stats: SIDEARM Game Notes: Florida | Georgia ATHENS, Ga. – Florida women's basketball will look to even the season series with No. 14/11 Georgia on Sunday when they head to Athens, Ga., for a 1 p.m. ET matchup. The game will be aired live on SEC Network with Eric Frede and Christy Thomaskutty on the call while Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis will handle radio responsibilities on 98.1FM/850AM WRUF. Florida picked up just their fifth win in series history against Tennessee on Thursday, dismantling the No. 7 team, 84-59. Not only was Thursday the largest victory in program history over Tennessee, it marked the first time ever that Florida has defeated the Lady Volunteers by more than 10 points. Led by Kiara Smith's 25 points, UF handed the opposition their worst loss by an unranked opponent since the AP Poll debuted in 1976. It was the highest-rated victory over Tennessee since Feb. 26, 2006 when UF defeated No. 5 Tennessee, 95-93, in Knoxville. With the 25-point win over No. 7 Tennessee, the Gators earned their largest victory over a top-10 program in school history. In addition to being the highest-ranked victory since a win over #6/7 Florida State in 2015, it also gave UF their highest-rated Southeastern Conference victory since Jan. 4, 2015 when they defeated No. 6 Kentucky, 83-73. Smith has elevated her game even more in SEC play, leading the Gators in points per game, rebound per game, assists per game and steals per game while also being responsible for 42.6% of the scoring output for the Gators in conference competition. The veteran's defense has remained at an elite level during the 2021-22 season, sitting at 18th nationally with a total of 56 steals on the year. She is also ranked 41st in the nation in steals per game, averaging 2.55 during each outing. Those numbers are good for third and fourth in the SEC, respectively. For the second-straight week, the Gators are receiving votes in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll following a strong performance against South Carolina on Sunday. Last week was the first time since December 21, 2016 that the Orange & Blue received votes in the polls. Georgia enters Sunday's contest with boasting a 17-4 record (6-3 SEC), picking up victories in five of their last six outings. The No. 14/11 Bulldogs defeated the Gators on Jan. 2, 73-69, in the SEC-opener. Road Test at No. 14/11 Georgia Awaits on Sunday - Florida Gators
WBB Game Notes: Streaking Georgia Hosts Red-Hot Florida UGA Athletics Opening Tip Storylines Georgia is back home to host the red-hot Florida Gators this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET inside Stegeman Coliseum. Sunday is Georgia's Play4Kay Pink Game, with fans encouraged to wear pink to honor all those affected by breast cancer. This contest will also mark Georgia's annual Alumni Game. Close to 30 former players will be in attendance. Georgia comes into the matchup having won five of its last six games overall. The Gators have won six of their last seven contests, including an 84-59 victory against No. 7-ranked Tennessee on Thursday. The Lady Bulldogs have won nine-straight meetings against the Florida Gators, with Florida's last win in the series coming in 2017. Georgia owns a 62-17 record, including a 32-5 mark in Athens, against the Gators. Georgia's seniors stepped up to lead the Lady Bulldogs in the win against Vanderbilt on Thursday. Malury Bates, Mikayla Coombs, Que Morrison and Jenna Staiti combined to score 49 of the Lady Bulldogs' 71 points against the Commodores, making up 70 percent of the team's scoring. Morrison -- recognized among the the best defensive players in the nation -- has scored in double figures in every SEC contest this season. In fact, Morrison's points, assists, steals and offensive rebounding have led to 32 percent of Georgia's scoring in conference play. Staiti has scored in double figures in 48 of last 56 games with 19 double-doubles. Last Sunday, she scored 22 points to go with 11 boards against fellow All-SEC candidate Shakira Austin. She also held Austin to just nine points in the win. Big MAC Dawgs Georgia signee Janiah Barker became the third Lady Bulldog in the past two years to be named to the McDonald's All-American Team. She is the 13th Georgia commit in program history to earn that distinction, joining current Lady Bulldogs Reigan Richardson (2021), Jillian Hollingshead (2021) and Mikayla Coombs (2017). Etter Starts For Bulldogs B Georgia has stormed out to strong starts as of late, outscoring Missouri, Mississippi State and Tennessee 62-30 in the first quarter. The Lady Bulldogs hit 64 percent from the field in the first period against Mizzou and knocked in 53 percent in the first 10 minutes against the Bulldogs from Starkville. Road Dawgs The Lady Bulldogs own a 8-1 record in games played away from home this season, highlighted by wins against No. 19 Notre Dame and No. 2 NC State. Staiti Adds To National Honors Jenna Staiti is being recognized as one of the top players in all of basketball. She has been tabbed to the Lisa Leslie Award Watch List, the Naismith National Player of the Year Watch List and recently landed on the Wooden Award Top-25 Watch List. She has already totaled six double-doubles this season and has reached double figures in scoring in all but three contests. The QUE (En) Does It All Que Morrison -- the 2021 SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and two-time SEC All-Defensive Team selection -- is literally doing it all. If you look at an SEC stat sheet, you will find Morrison's name in nearly every statistical category. Over the course of the season, Morrison has hit big shot after big shot to carry her team. She has scored in double figures 17 times, has totaled 20 or more points on four occasions, recorded three or more steals seven times and three or more assists in every single game. Dawgs Are SEC's Most Unselfish Georgia paces the SEC and ranks No. 15 nationally with 17.4 assists per game. The Lady Bulldogs have ranked in the top-3 of the SEC in assists in six of the first seven years under head coach Joni Taylor. Georgia has totaled 366 assists on 599 made field goals this season -- an average of 61 percent. Coombs Swipes The Irish Senior guard Mikayla Coombs nearly set the school record with eight steals in the win against Notre Dame -- a total that was just two shy of the school record. Coombs recorded six steals in the first quarter alone to lead her team in the early going. On A Roll Georgia has won 25 of its last 31 games dating back to last season. During the stretch going back to Feb. 4, 2021, Georgia has defeated six ranked teams, including No. 2 ranked Texas A&M and second-ranked NC State. Barker's Bomb Shocks NC State Sarah Ashlee Barker nailed a 25-foot heave at the buzzer to send the game against NC State into overtime. Barker finished with a career-best four 3-point field goals in the win, including back-to-back three's late in the game to stop a NC State rally. Overtime Success Georgia improved to an impressive 9-2 overall in overtime games under head coach Joni Taylor. In fact, Georgia has won four-straight and nine of its last 10 OT contests. Down Goes No. 2 Georgia's win at then No. 2-ranked NC State marked the program's first true road win against a top-25 team in program history. The victory ended the Wolfpack's 10-game win streak. Many Contributors Georgia's bench has outscored its opponents by a 488-219 margin, an average of 13 points per game, this season. Every available player has touched the floor in six of the team's 21 games. Bulldog Block Party The Lady Bulldogs set a new school record with 18 blocks in the win against Alabama State on Nov. 21. That total broke a 34-year old record from 1987, when Georgia had 16 against Mercer. The Lady Bulldogs' 18 swats are tied for the second-most in a game in SEC history. Offensive Improvement Head Coach Joni Taylor and her staff implemented a new offensive philosophy prior to the 2020-21 season with the goal of playing a more up-tempo style with defensive pressure. That move has paid dividends. Since last season, Georgia has scored over 90 points four times. The Lady Bulldogs scored over 90 points just four times combined in the five seasons prior. UGA Seniors Earn Degrees For the second-straight year, each of Georgia's seniors have already earned their college degrees. Malury Bates (sociology), Mikayla Coombs (sport management), Que Morrison (communication studies) and Jenna Staiti (human development and family science) have all graduated from the University of Georgia. WBB Game Notes: Streaking Georgia Hosts Red-Hot Florida - University of Georgia Athletics
We should play with some attitude today. We are tied with UGA for third place in the SEC. We are 4-3 against ranked teams including wins over #7 and #11 and we are not ranked. UGA is 2-3 (AP) 1-3(USA) against ranked teams and is ranked 14/11. UGA is a #5 projected seed in the tourney. We are a number 10 projected seed. Yup, we still have to go out and prove it, again and again. But like I said, we should play with some attitude.
we have the worst shooting centers in the world apparently. They have missed at least 6 easy layups. We should have been up at least 10 in the 1st if we make gimmes
