TUSCALOOSA, Ala.  — A putback by junior forward Caliya Robinson with three seconds remaining in the game sent the contest into overtime, where the Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball team took control in a 49-43 victory against Alabama Thursday evening at Coleman Coliseum. 

With Georgia trailing 40-38, Robinson brought down an offensive rebound and then put it back in with three seconds on the clock to send the game into an extra five minute period. The Lady Bulldogs, now 23-5 overall and 11-4 in the SEC, seized control from that point, outscoring Alabama 9-3 in the final five minutes.

Senior forward Mackenzie Engram led all scorers with 16 points, while Caliya Robinson added a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds.

“I thought we were relentless defensively when things did not go our way on the offensive end,” head coach Joni Taylor said. “Give Alabama credit. I think that is an NCAA Tournament team and Kristy has them playing really well right now. For us, we finally stopped turning it over int the overtime period and that was the difference in the game.” 

Georgia jumped out to a 6-0 lead after forcing four Alabama turnovers through the first three minutes of the game. Ashley Williams then scored six-straight of her own before Hannah Cook hit a 3-point basket at the 1:03 mark to give her team a 13-12 lead at the end of the first period.

The Lady Bulldogs committed eight first-quarter turnovers — a trend that continued in the second frame. Georgia also went through a scoring drought before back-to-back baskets from Engram kept the score at 17-16 in Alabama’s favor with 4:37 left before the half.

Georgia finished with 18 first-half turnovers as the teams went to the break tied at 20-20.

Alabama jumped ahead of the Lady Bulldogs in the third quarter thanks to a Jordan Lewis 3-pointer that put her team up 28-24. Georgia hit just 3-for-13 from the field and scored just seven points as Alabama led 30-27 going into the fourth.

Georgia made three-straight free throws to even the score at 30-30 early in the final period, before Taja Cole put the Lady Bulldogs up 32-30. That lead was short lived as Meoshonti Knight hit a 3-pointer to put Alabama back on top. The Crimson Tide then extended the advantage to 39-36 with another Knight basket at the 1:34 mark of the fourth.

Robinson scored on a breakaway layup to cut the lead to 39-38 with 49 seconds on the clock. Another free-throw put Alabama up by two — 40-38 — with time running out. That is when Robinson nailed a putback with three seconds to go to send the game to overtime.

Georgia took control in the overtime period thanks to an 3-pointer by Gabby Connally on the Lady Bulldogs’ first possession. Cole added four points in the final 10 minutes en route to the 49-43 win.

The Lady Bulldogs now return home for Senior Day on Sunday as Florida comes to town for a Noon ET tip.