The Lady Bulldogs played a tough game against the Ole Miss Rebels, but they ultimately lost the game, 63-58, on Thursday night at the Stegeman Coliseum.

 Thursday night’s SEC matchup was the 55th edition of the series between Ole Miss and Georgia. Ole Miss came in as the stronger team, with a 4-3 record in the Southeastern Conference, compared to Georgia’s conference record of 1-6. The Lady Bulldogs certainly were not fearful, and played a tough battle against the Rebels.

In the first quarter, the Lady Bulldogs took the lead, 9-10. Senior guard De’Mauri Flournoy was the first to score in the game, she also scored the first three-point shot of the game. Flournoy totaled 15 points in Thursday’s game, she scored 10 points in just the first half. 

Ole Miss created more scoring opportunities in the 2nd quarter. They held the biggest lead in the first half by ten points, where Georgia’s biggest lead was only by one point. The Rebels scored four three-point shots in the first half, which allowed them to now take the lead, 31-23 at the end of the second quarter. 

The Lady Bulldogs came in eager to play hard in the second half. The third quarter started off with a three-point shot from senior guard Asia Avinger. Avinger led the team with 19 points on Thursday evening. She also tallied six rebounds and two assists. 

Freshman forward Mia Woolfolk also played strong offense against the Rebels. Woolfolk helped to tighten up the score with a layup in the beginning of the fourth quarter, 51-44. In total, Woolfolk scored 11 points and had five rebounds against Ole Miss. 

The score grew closer when Avinger scored a jumper in the fourth quarter, 52-50. Ultimately, in the fourth quarter, the Ole Miss Rebels mainly scored on free throws, as Georgia had tallied five fouls. Despite strong offensive efforts from the Lady Bulldogs, the Ole Miss Rebels won, 63-58. 

“We could’ve won the game if we weren’t in foul trouble,” Georgia head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson said after the team’s loss. 

Next up, the Lady Bulldogs will travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama for another fierce SEC matchup against the Crimson Tide at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2. Alabama is currently ranked No. 22 overall, and No. 6 in the SEC.