[su_spacer size=”40″] Wednesday’s contest is not televised, but fans can listen to the game on the Georgia Bulldog Network by IMG with Jeff Dantzler on the call. Fans can listen locally in Athens on WRFC AM 960 The Ref and 103.7 FM WXKT (Gainesville).
[su_spacer size=”40″] For more information on the Lady Bulldogs all season long, follow the team on Twitter (@UGA_WBB), Instagram (@uga_wbb) and Facebook (UGA Women’s Basketball).
[su_spacer size=”40″] Opening Tip — Five Things To Know
[su_spacer size=”40″] – Georgia won its first game under new head coach Joni Taylor this past Sunday, knocking off Stetson, 76-55. The win was not only Taylor’s first as head coach but also the 900th in program history.
[su_spacer size=”40″] – The Lady Bulldogs are now one of 13 NCAA Division I women’s basketball programs with 900 or more all-time victories. Georgia is tied for the third-youngest program on the 13-team list with UGA’s first season of women’s basketball action coming in 1973-74.
[su_spacer size=”40″] – Senior Shacobia Barbee made the most of her return to the lineup, recording a triple-double against Stetson. Barbee, who missed the final ten games of the year last season due to an injury, is only the third Lady Bulldog all-time to record a triple-double, joining Teresa Edwards and Tracy Henderson. Sunday’s triple-double was just the 26th in Southeastern Conference history and the first since the 2013-14 season.
[su_spacer size=”40″] – Georgia senior guard Tiaria Griffin picked up where she left off last season. Griffin scored a team-high 21 points (just two points shy of her career high) and recorded seven rebounds and five assists in the season opener vs. Stetson. In all, the Lady Bulldogs had four players score in double figures this past Sunday. Sophomore forward Mackenzie Engram recorded the second double-double of her career (18 pts., 11 rebs.) while senior forward Merritt Hempe scored 16 points.
[su_spacer size=”40″] – The Lady Bulldogs have won two-straight games against Michigan State, including last season’s 69-60 victory in Athens. A win on Wednesday would be Georgia’s second in East Lansing. The Lady Bulldogs won the first-ever meeting between the two teams, 66-52, in 1988.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Series Information
Overall: Georgia leads, 4-1
In Athens: Georgia leads, 3-0
In East Lansing: Tied, 1-1
Neutral Sites: Never Met
Current Streak: Georgia – 2 straight
Last Meeting: 12/7/14 — Georgia W, 69-60 (Athens)
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Georgia vs. Michigan State Game Notes
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Scouting Michigan State
– No. 23 Michigan State enters Wednesday’s meeting with a 1-0 record after knocking off Western Michigan, 78-40, in the season opener. Tori Jankoska led all scorers in the game with 20 points – 12 coming in the first half. Branndais Agee scored 11 points, and Morgan Green added 7 points with six assists for the Spartans. Preseason All-America Honorable Mention selection Aerial Powers did not play in the Spartans’ first game due to an injury.
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Last Time Out
– The Joni Taylor era of Georgia Basketball officially commenced last Sunday against Stetson in front of 3,530 fans at Stegeman Coliseum. The Lady Bulldogs defeated Stetson, 76-55. UGA outscored the Hatters, 22-6, in the third period and outrebounded them, 49-24, in the win. In all, four Lady Bulldogs scored in double figures, led by Shacobia Barbee’s triple-double.
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More On Barbee’s Triple-Double
– On Jan. 25, 2015, Georgia’s Shacobia Barbee went down with a fractured fibula, forcing the preseason All-SEC performer to miss the last ten games of the season. Barbee stormed back for the Lady Bulldogs this past Sunday, recording a triple-double with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and ten assists against the Hatters — becoming just the third Lady Bulldog player all-time to reach a triple-double and the first in 20 years (Teresa Edwards, 1986; Tracy Henderson, 1995). The ten assists by Barbee represented a career high and also marked the first time since 2010 a Lady Bulldog had 10 or more assists in a single game.
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Skidgel Efficient In Debut
– Freshman guard Amber Skidgel had a strong showing in her Lady Bulldog debut against Stetson. The Bethlehem, Ga., native, who was the most prolific 3-point shooter in Gwinnett County history behind a county-record 227 made 3-pointers in her high school career, scored six points on a pair of treys against the Hatters.
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Griffin Nine Away From 900
– Senior guard Tiaria Griffin, who scored 21 points against Stetson on Sunday, needs just nine points to reach 900 career points. Griffin has scored 891 points in her Lady Bulldog career and currently ranks ninth in career 3-pointers made (148) at the University of Georgia.
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Seasoned Seniors Ready To Lead
– Looking to lead Georgia this season is 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 entering this season. Joining the four starters is senior Terryuana Godwin, who is entering just her second season on the Lady Bulldogs’ roster.
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