Georgia forward Merritt Hempe (13) hugs Georgia head coach Joni Taylor after a win during the Lady Bulldogs’ game in Stegeman Coliseum against Mississippi State University in Athens, Ga., on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016. (Photo by Emily Selby)
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Game Information:
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Georgia Lady Bulldogs (14-6, 2-5 SEC) vs. Auburn (13-7, 3-4 SEC)
[su_spacer size=”20″]Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016 | Stegeman Coliseum | 7 p.m. ET
[su_spacer size=”20″]TV: SEC Network // Cara Capuano (PxP) and Steffi Sorensen (Analyst)
[su_spacer size=”20″]Radio: Georgia Bulldog Radio Network by IMG (Jeff Dantzler, PBP)
[su_spacer size=”20″]CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STATS AT GEORGIADOGS.COM
[su_spacer size=”20″]Follow the team on Twitter at: @UGA_WBB
[su_spacer size=”40″]Game Notes
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Opening Tip — Five Things To Know
[su_spacer size=”40″] 1. Georgia owns a 26-18 all-time series advantage against the Tigers and has won three of the last five meetings between the two programs. Auburn has had recent success against the Lady Bulldogs in Athens, winning two of the last three contests, including last season’s 44-26 victory.[su_spacer size=”40″] 2. Auburn head coach Terri Williams-Flourney was an assistant coach at Georgia from 1996-2002 under former head coach Andy Landers. During her time in Athens, the Lady Bulldogs won two SEC regular season titles, one SEC tournament championship and advanced to the 1999 NCAA Final Four.
[su_spacer size=”40″] 3. Georgia currently ranks first nationally in 3-point FG percentage defense, holding opponents to just 23.6% from behind the arc. The Lady Bulldogs have held 15 of 20 opponents below 30% from 3-point range and 19 of 20 teams to 40 percent or lower shooting overall this season.
[su_spacer size=”40″] 4. Senior guard Shacobia Barbee is carrying the load for the Lady Bulldogs with back-to-back 40-minute games. Barbee has recorded four double-doubles in seven SEC games and ranks in the top 5 of the league in total rebounds (No. 1 with 187), rebounds per game (No. 3 with 9.4 per game), total steals (No. 5 with 45), steals per game (No. 5 with 2.3 per game) and total assists (No. 4 with 87).
[su_spacer size=”40″] 5. Georgia defeated No. 10 Mississippi State, 47-43, last Thursday, for its third win over a ranked team this season. It marks the first time UGA has totaled a trio of ranked wins in the same season since the 2012-13 NCAA Elite Eight year.
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A Georgia Win Would
[su_spacer size=”40″] Improve UGA’s record to 11-3 inside Stegeman Coliseum this season.[su_spacer size=”40″] Give Georgia its 17th all-time win against Auburn in Athens. Georgia is 16-5 against the Tigers at Stegeman Coliseum.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Be the Lady Bulldogs’ second home SEC win. Georgia defeated No. 10 Mississippi State, 47-43, last Thursday.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Improve Georgia’s record to 4-1 in Thursday night games this season.
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Series Information
[su_spacer size=”20″] Overall: Georgia leads, 26-18In Athens: Georgia leads, 16-5
In Auburn: Auburn leads, 10-9
Neutral Sites: Auburn leads, 3-1
Current Streak: Auburn, 1-0
Last Meeting: AU won, 44-26 (2/22/15) in Athens
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Scouting Auburn
[su_spacer size=”40″] Much like Georgia, Auburn opened SEC play with a slate of tough games this season, facing three-straight ranked teams to begin conference action. The Tigers upset then-No. 7 Kentucky to open SEC play before losing two straight to Mississippi State and Tennessee. The Tigers have three players averaging in double figures this season, led by Brandy Montgomery, who ranks fifth in the league in scoring with her 16.5 ppg.[su_spacer size=”20″]
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Last Time Out
[su_spacer size=”40″] It was a tough day on the boards for the Lady Bulldogs, as Georgia fell to LSU 53-46 on Sunday in Stegeman Coliseum.[su_spacer size=”40″] “I felt as if we had a really good two days of practice,” said head coach Joni Taylor. “We are a team that freezes when we see a zone. We didn’t come out with any energy, we didn’t do anything defensively, and we didn’t get enough offensive rebounds. When you are shooting the ball poorly, like we have the tendency of doing especially against zone, you have to create your own momentum, grab the offensive rebounds and use the defense to force turnovers. We didn’t do that today.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] LSU used the rebounding game to its advantage, as it took down 38 boards to Georgia’s 28, including 18 on the offensive end.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Seniors Tiaria Griffin and Shacobia Barbee paced the Lady Bulldogs, as Griffin had 13 points with two three-pointers and Barbee followed with 12 points and a team-best seven rebounds. Fellow classmate Merritt Hempe along with junior Pachis Roberts had eight points and six rebounds apiece.
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Georgia Notebook
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Griffin Moving Up 3-Point Chart
[su_spacer size=”40″] » UGA senior guard Tiaria Griffin has moved up to No. 4 on Georgia’s all-time career made 3-point field goals chart with 191 treys in her career at Georgia. In third place is Khaalidah Miller, who played for the Lady Bulldogs from 2010-14. Griffin has the most career 3-point baskets of any current player in the SEC.[su_spacer size=”20″]
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Butler An Academic All-America Nominee
[su_spacer size=”40″] » Georgia senior guard Marjorie Butler has been nominated for the 2015-16 CoSIDA Academic All-America team for her efforts in the classroom. Butler, who has been accepted to prestigious medical schools such as the University of Virginia, Vanderbilt, Florida and UAB, already has a degree in exercise science and will graduate with a second degree in biology this May.[su_spacer size=”20″]
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UGA One Of Top Defenses Nationally
[su_spacer size=”40″] » The Lady Bulldogs have held 19 of 20 opponents at 40 percent or lower shooting this season and have held five teams to their season lows in scoring. Georgia currently ranks third in the SEC in scoring defense (53.0 ppg), and second in FG pct. defense (33.8%). Georgia actually leads the nation in 3-point FG percentage defense, holding opponents to just 23.6 percent from behind the arc.[su_spacer size=”20″]
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Winning Trends For The Lady Bulldogs
[su_spacer size=”40″] » The Lady Bulldogs are averaging 70.9 points per game and shooting 42.9 percent from the floor in 14 wins this season. In six losses, Georgia averages 50.7 ppg and is shooting 30.7 percent. Georgia is 12-1 this season when owning the rebounding edge, with the only loss coming to Alabama.[su_spacer size=”20″]
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Strong Start One For The Records
[su_spacer size=”40″] The 12-1 start for Georgia head coach Joni Taylor ties for the third-best start by an SEC coach in his or her first season at a school since women’s basketball became an NCAA sport. Pokey Chatman (13-0, LSU in 2004-05) and Tom Collen (13-0, Arkansas in 2007-08) are the only two to have better starts through their first 13 games.[su_spacer size=”20″]
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Protecting The Ball
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Lady Bulldogs have committed fewer turnovers than their opponents in 13 of 20 games this season and are fifth in the SEC in fewest turnovers committed, averaging just 14.8 per game. Georgia also averages 15.9 assists per game, ranking third in the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio this season.[su_spacer size=”40″]
For more information on the Georgia Women’s Basketball team,
[su_spacer size=”20″]follow the team on:
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Twitter: @UGA_WBB
[su_spacer size=”20″]Instagram: @uga_wbb
[su_spacer size=”20″]Facebook: UGA Women’s Basketball
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MORE GAME NOTES:
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