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Eight home games, road contests at UCLA, Georgia Tech and Villanova, as well as a trip to Puerto Rico highlight the Georgia Lady Bulldog basketball team’s 2018-19 non-conference schedule, head coach Joni Taylor, announced Monday.
The Lady Bulldogs open the 2018-19 campaign against St. Bonaventure on Friday, Nov. 9, followed by a matchup against Winthrop on Sunday, Nov. 11. Georgia then hits the road for its first away game — a marquee battle against UCLA at the historic Pauley Pavilion on Wednesday, Nov. 14.
That road swing continues through Thanksgiving with a trip to Georgia Tech (Nov.18) followed by matchups against Morgan State (Nov. 22) and Maryland (Nov. 24) in the 2018 Puerto Rico Classic.
“We are going to be challenged from the start,” Taylor said. “Our team will play four of its first six games away from home against quality opponents. UCLA is coming off an Elite 8 appearance, Georgia Tech had a 20-win season and made the WNIT and Maryland won 26 games on its way to another NCAA tournament. Mercer was an NCAA tournament team that lost just three games and won a conference championship, while Villanova went to the NCAA tournament before falling to eventual national champion Notre Dame. So, our non-conference schedule will let us know very quickly where we are as a team and provide the competition we need in order to prepare us for conference play and another postseason run.”
After playing three 20-win teams from 2017-18 over the course of 10 days, Georgia returns from Puerto Rico with a date against Mercer. The Bears, who went 30-3 on their way to another Southern Conference Championship last year, return to Stegeman Coliseum on Nov. 28. Mercer and Georgia last met in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, with the Lady Bulldogs earning a 68-63 victory.
Georgia heads into the month of December with back-to-back home contests — one against Charleston Southern on Dec. 2 and another contest against Furman on Dec. 4. The game against the Paladins will take the team into a 10-day exam break.
The Lady Bulldogs then trek to Philadelphia to face Villanova on Dec. 14. The contest marks only the second meeting between the two programs and the first since the Wildcats’ 71-60 win against the Lady Bulldogs in 1986.
Georgia finishes the non-conference slate with three-straight home games against Lipscomb (Dec. 19), Georgia Southern (Dec. 21) and Presbyterian (Dec. 28).
Taylor and her team enter the 2018-19 season with six of their top seven scorers, including three starters, back from last year’s squad that won 26 games and finished in second place in the SEC standings. Among the returners are 2018 All-SEC and All-America honorable mention selection Caliya Robinson, 2018 SEC All-Freshman Team pick Que Morrison and starting point guard Taja Cole.
Season tickets are now on sale and are just $40. Fans can purchase season tickets by visiting GeorgiaDogs.com or calling the UGA Athletics Ticket Office at 877-542-1231.