After falling behind 16-3 in the game’s first six minutes, the Georgia Lady Bulldog basketball team (21-9, 9-8) used a gritty comeback effort with stellar defense the rest of the way to force overtime, but ultimately fell to Vanderbilt (18-13, 7-11) by a 54-49 score on Thursday night at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville.
 
 
Freshman forward Caliya Robinson had a standout performance, claiming her fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out with one second remaining in regulation play. The contest was the first for both teams to require added time this season, and Georgia will now await the NCAA selection show on March 14 to find out its postseason fate. The show will begin at 7 p.m. and will air on ESPN.
 
 
The Lady Bulldogs started slow on the defensive end, allowing buckets on all of Vanderbilt’s first six possessions to give the Commodores a commanding 13-3 lead into the first media timeout. The deficit reached 16-3 with about four minutes left in the opening quarter, but Pachis Roberts picked up the team offensively with five-straight points to trim the deficit to eight at the end of the opening 10 minutes.
 
 
Georgia remained the hot hand throughout the second quarter, owning the first eight minutes of the frame with a 12-0 run to take a 20-18 lead. It was not until the 1:34 mark that the Commodores were able to score to tie the game at 20 apiece, and the score remained through the end of the half as the teams headed to the locker rooms.
 
 
Neither team could find any separation at the start of the third quarter, with the teams trading buckets initially until the Lady Dogs found a way to open up a four-point margin. Vanderbilt twice cut the Bulldog lead to two but could never quite pull even as the Lady Dogs maintained a 34-32 lead through three periods. Georgia was seconds away from holding a five-point lead at the end of three, but a buzzer-beating trey from deep brought Vanderbilt back within striking distance.
 
 
The Commodores tied the game at the 7:40 mark at 34 points with a driving layup, and two free throws on their next possession put Georgia’s opponent on top. The Lady Dogs rose to the occasion, jumping ahead 41-38 with less than three minutes remaining in the contest. The lead moved to five as Robinson connected on a fast break put-back to seemingly put the game out of reach, though Vanderbilt battled back and drew within one until two Marjorie Butler free throws pushed the lead to three. The makes proved critical as Vanderbilt shot three free throws on its next possession, sinking all three to force extra time at 46-46.
 
 
After a slow start for both teams in the overtime period, each team only added two points to their scores at the halfway point of added time. Vanderbilt took the lead with a jumper at the 1:40 mark, but a Halle Washington free throw cut the lead to one. Georgia was unable to draw even after, falling by a 54-49 final score.