Georgia Lady Bulldogs (9-1, 1-1 SEC) vs. Florida Gators (7-4, 0-3 SEC)
Sunday, Jan. 10 | noon ET | Stegeman Coliseum | Athens, Ga.
Watch: SEC Network (Paul Sunderland (play-by-play)/Andraya Carter (analyst)
Listen: Georgia Bulldogs Sports Network (Jeff Dantzler)
*960 AM The REF, WXKT 103.7 FM in Athens or via the Georgia Bulldogs App
Opening Tip Storylines
• Georgia is set to face the Florida Gators this Sunday at noon ET on the SEC Network.
• The Lady Bulldogs have won six-straight games against Florida and own a 59-17 lead in the all-time series.
• The Lady Bulldogs, who are 9-1 this season, are ranked No. 16 in the first NET rankings and are receiving votes in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls.
• Georgia began the year 8-0 in non-conference action, marking its best start in seven seasons.
• Georgia is going for its 500th all-time win at Stegeman Coliseum. The Lady Bulldogs have won 499 games at The Steg in the last 45 years.
• Georgia has won 14 of its last 18 games dating back to last year, with the only losses coming to top-15 teams South Carolina, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Kentucky.
• Head coach Joni Taylor’s team ranks second in the Southeastern Conference in scoring defense, holding teams to just 55.6 points per game. Georgia has held six of 10 opponents at or below 30 percent shooting from the field.
• Georgia’s mantra has been ‘Defense Travels’ over the last few years. The Lady Bulldogs could make that case on the offensive end this season as the team has scored 80 points or more points four times in 10 games, compared to just twice in 31 contests last season.
• The Lady Bulldogs are averaging 78.4 points per game, up 13 points per contest compared to the first 10 games in the 2019-20 season.
• Two years after having the youngest team in the SEC, Georgia is a veteran squad with four seniors who have all graduated and are pursuing master’s degrees.
• Senior Jenna Staiti leads Georgia in scoring and rebounding with 15.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Staiti paces the SEC and ranks third nationally with 30 total blocks.
• Balance and depth has been key for the Lady Bulldogs through the first part of the season. Eleven or more players have scored a basket in four of the last five games, with all 13 players routinely seeing action.
Scouting Florida
Florida enters Sunday’s game having just played three-straight top-15 teams. Lavender Briggs leads the 7-3 Gators with 17.5 points per game. Florida head coach Cam Newbauer was an assistant coach on the Lady Bulldogs’ staff from 2007-12 after serving as director of operations for the Georgia men’s team from 2005-07.
Series Breakdown
Overall: Georgia leads, 59-17
In Athens: Georgia leads, 31-5
In Gainesville: Georgia leads, 26-11
Neutral Sites: Georgia leads, 2-1
Current Streak: Georgia has won six-straight meetings
Last Meeting: Georgia won 65-59 (3/1/20) in Athens
Largest Margin of Victory:Georgia won, 105-62 (1/12/03)
Largest Defeat: Florida won, 94- 61 (1/7/98)
Georgia Notes
Georgia Leads Nation in Blocks
The Lady Bulldogs lead all NCAA teams with 66 total blocks this season. Georgia is averaging 6.6 swats per game, which is the seventh-best average in the country and second in the SEC.
Going for 100
Georgia scored 107 points against Appalachian State on Dec. 22. That total marked the most points by a Georgia team since the 2000-01 campaign and was the first time the Lady Bulldogs have reached the 100-point mark since 2007.
Dishing Dimes
Georgia finished with 32 assists on 46 made baskets against Appalachian State. The 32 dimes are the fourth-most in a single game in Georgia history and the Lady Bulldogs’ best effort since 2003.
Offensive Improvement
The Lady Bulldogs are a much improved team on the offensive end compared to last season. Georgia is averaging 78.4 points per game in 2020 after scoring just 63.2 points per game last year. The team has scored over 80 points four times through the first 10 games. Last season, the Lady Bulldogs scored 80 or more points twice in 31 contests.