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[su_spacer size=”40″] ATHENS, Ga. — Joni Taylor steps on the floor for the first time as the head coach of Georgia Lady Bulldog basketball on Sunday when her team takes on Stetson at 2 p.m. ET inside Stegeman Coliseum.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Taylor and the Lady Bulldogs will be joined by popular music artist Silento, who will perform his hit song “Watch Me” at halftime and postgame.
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Game Information:

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Georgia (0-0) vs. Stetson (0-0)* | Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015 | Stegeman Coliseum | 2 p.m. ET

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Video: SEC Network + (Matt Stewart, PBP; Christi Thomas, Color)

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Radio: Georgia Bulldog Network by IMG (Jeff Dantzler, PBP)

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Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com (Click Here)

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*Stetson plays later Saturday

[su_spacer size=”40″] [su_spoiler title=”CLICK TO SEE GAME NOTES” style=”fancy”] [su_document url=”http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/geo/sports/w-baskbl/auto_pdf/2015-16/release/release_20151114aaa.pdf”] [/su_spoiler] [su_spacer size=”40″]

Opening Tip — Five Things To Know:

[su_spacer size=”40″] It’s a new beginning for the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs as Joni Taylor takes the reins of the program as just the second full-time coach in UGA women’s basketball history. Taylor replaces Hall of Fame coach Andy Landers, who retired after 36 seasons in Athens.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Lady Bulldogs return 10 players, including four starters, off of last year’s team.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Eight players on this year’s roster started at least one game during the 2014-15 season. Among the returnees is senior guard Tiaria Griffin, who finished second on the team in scoring (11.3 ppg) last season and led UGA in 3-point field goals made (115) and minutes played (30.6).
[su_spacer size=”40″] Also returning for the Lady Bulldogs is senior guard/forward Shacobia Barbee, who had an all-star campaign cut short when she suffered a fractured fibula at No. 5 Tennessee on Jan. 25 last season. Barbee, a 2015-16 Preseason All-SEC Second-Team selection, was ranked in the top-15 in the conference in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals before suffering the season-ending injury.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia is going for its 900th win in program history. With a victory against Stetson, the Lady Bulldogs would be one of 12 teams in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history to reach 900 all-time wins.
[su_spacer size=”40″] [su_box title=” Series Information” box_color=”#050505″ title_color=”#ffffff”] [su_spacer size=”20″] Overall: Georgia leads, 3-0
[su_spacer size=”20″] In Athens: Georgia leads, 2-0
[su_spacer size=”20″] In DeLand: Georgia leads, 1-0
[su_spacer size=”20″] Neutral Sites: Never Met
[su_spacer size=”20″] Current Streak: Georgia – 3 straight
[su_spacer size=”20″] Last Meeting: 1/10/05 – Georgia W, 97-42 (Athens)
[/su_box] [su_spacer size=”40″] [su_box title=” Georgia Game Notes” box_color=”#050505″ title_color=”#ffffff”] [su_spacer size=”20″] [su_tabs] [su_tab title=” Scouting Stetson“][su_animate type=”fadeInUp”] Stetson enters the opening weekend of the 2015-16 season following an impressive 2014-15 campaign, totaling 20 or more wins for the fifth-straight year with a 23-8 overall record and an 11-3 mark in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Hatters only return four letterwinners and one starter off of last year’s team that finished second in the Atlantic Sun. Lynn Bria returns for her eighth season at the helm of the program. In her eight years at Stetson, Bria has won three Atlantic Sun Conference Championships and made two NCAA Tournament appearances.
[/su_tab] [su_tab title=” Seasoned Seniors Ready To Lead“][su_animate type=”fadeInUp”] Looking to lead Georgia this season will be a strong group of seniors, which has a combined 13 seasons of experience on the Lady Bulldogs’ roster. UGA returns four of five starters off of last season’s team — all four entering their senior seasons on the Georgia campus. Tiaria Griffin, Merritt Hempe, Shacobia Barbee and Marjorie Butler have combined for 223 starts and have played in over 350 contests during their careers at Georgia. Joining the four starters is senior Terryuana Godwin, who is entering just her second season on the Lady Bulldogs’ roster.
[/su_animate] [/su_tab] [su_tab title=” Strong Non-Conference Slate Awaits Lady Bulldogs“][su_animate type=”fadeInUp”] The Lady Bulldogs will face five 20-win teams and seven schools that advanced to postseason play last season, along with a potential date against an additional 20-win squad that reached the 2015 NCAA Tournament, during the upcoming non-conference schedule.
[su_spacer size=”20″] Georgia will host five teams that played in the postseason a year ago – Stetson (23 wins, NIT) on Nov. 15, Georgia Tech (19 wins, NIT) on Nov. 22, Mercer (20 wins, WBI) on Dec. 2, Seton Hall (28 wins, NCAA) on Dec. 6 and Furman (19 wins, WBI) on Dec. 8.
[/su_animate] [/su_tab] [su_tab title=” Landers’ Legendary Mark On Georgia Basketball“][su_animate type=”fadeInUp”] For the first time in 36 seasons, Andy Landers will not be on the sidelines when the Lady Bulldogs open the 2015-16 non-conference slate against Stetson on Nov. 15 at Stegeman Coliseum. In 36 years, he led the Lady Bulldogs to 31 NCAA Tournaments, 20 Sweet 16s, 11 Elite Eights and five Final Fours. Under Landers’ direction, Georgia averaged just over 24 wins per season and recorded 20 or more wins in 29 seasons.
[/su_animate] [/su_tab] [su_tab title=” Barbee Back From Injury“][su_animate type=”fadeInUp”] The injury-plagued 2014-15 edition of Georgia women’s basketball featured a costly injury to preseason All-SEC second-team selection Shacobia Barbee on Jan. 25 against Tennessee. Barbee underwent surgery on her fractured right distal fibula on Jan. 28 and missed the rest of the 2014-15 season.
[su_spacer size=”20″] Barbee is back in 2015 and looks to lead the Lady Bulldogs. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native has a stellar resume that features a second-team All-SEC selection and SEC All-Defensive Team selection during her sophomore season in 2013-14. Barbee became the first player in program history to lead the Lady Bulldogs in average points (12.2 ppg), rebounds (7.9 rpg), assists (3.6 apg) and steals (2.6 spg). As a rookie in 2012-13, Barbee was voted by the SEC coaches to both the All-Freshman and All-Defensive teams.
[/su_animate] [/su_tab] [/su_tabs] [/su_box] [su_spacer size=”40″] FOLLOW THE LADY BULLDOGS
For more information on the Georgia Lady Bulldogs, follow the team on Twitter (@UGA_WBB), Instagram (@uga_wbb), Facebook (Facebook.com/UGAWomensBasketball) and Snapchat (@uga_wbb).
[su_spacer size=”40″] GEORGIADOGS.COM – University of Georgia Official Athletic Site – Women’s Basketball
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