ATHENS, Ga. — A season-high 47 points in the first half helped propel the University of Georgia women’s basketball team past Presbyterian College, 83-59, on Friday afternoon in Stegeman Coliseum.

Four Lady Bulldogs finished the game with double-digit scoring performances, with five Georgia players scoring six or more points in the first half alone.
 
 

 
 
A career-high 21 points for redshirt-sophomore Jenna Staiti made her Georgia’s leading scorer. Staiti shot 10-for-15 from the field and was 50 percent from the three-point line. The Cumming, Georgia, native also led the Lady Bulldogs in rebounds. Staiti grabbed seven rebounds in the first half alone, only three short of her career-high 10 in a single game, to finish the game with eight total.

Redshirt-junior Taja Cole and junior Stephanie Paul added 17 points apiece for Georgia, while freshman Kaila Hubbard scored 10 points. Cole, who leads the SEC in assists, matched her career-best with 11 assists to finish the game.

“Offensively, I feel much better [about our form],” Georgia head coach Joni Taylor said. “Defensively, I think we’ve been consistent enough, but offensively we didn’t have a lot of continuity early on. I think as our younger players are getting more experience, getting more playing time and having a better understanding of what it is we’re looking for, things are running more smoothly on offense.”
 
 

 
 
The first half of the game was all Georgia. Defensively, Georgia held its opponent to a single-digit score in the first quarter for the fourth time this season, allowing the Blue Hose to score only five points in the first quarter. On offense, the Lady Bulldogs shot over 41 percent from the three-point line to mark the team’s career high from behind the arc.

Both Paul and Hubbard were perfect from the field in the first half to score nine points apiece before the half. Paul hit all three of her shots from the field, while Hubbard was 4-for-4 from the field and knocked down her only 3-pointer of the first half. Paul’s 17-point performance marks her fourth-straight double-digit scoring game for the first time in her career, while Hubbard’s double-digit scoring effort was her second of the season. In the first half alone, five Lady Bulldogs scored six or more points to take Georgia into the half up 47-15.

This win takes Georgia into conference play with an undefeated 8-0 record at home and 9-4 overall record. The Lady Bulldogs return to Stegeman Coliseum to face-off against first SEC opponent LSU on Thursday, Jan. 3, at 7 p.m.