Georgia Basketball Game Notes
#24 Georgia Lady Bulldogs (16-2, 4-1 SEC) vs. Auburn Tigers (10-8, 1-5 SEC)
Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018 // 3 p.m. ET
Stegeman Coliseum (10,523) in Athens, Ga.
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Network by IMG // Jeff Dantzler (play-by-play) In Athens: 960 AM and 103.7 FM
TV: SEC Network (Brenda VanLengen - play-by-play, Andraya Carter - analyst)
Video: SECN+

Probable Starters

Pos	No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Georgia Bulldogs
Coach: Joni Taylor
53-27 (3rd year) at UGA
53-27 (3rd year) overall
G	0	Taja Cole	8.3	2.5
5-7; RS-So.; TR; Richmond, Va./Louisville
G	12	Haley Clark	4.0	3.1
5-9; Sr.; 3L; Orlando, Fla./Edgewater HS
G	23	Que Morrison	8.3	4.8
5-7; Fr.; HS; Riverdale, Ga./McEachern HS
F	33	Mackenzie Engram	13.0	6.4
6-2; Sr.; 3L; Powder Springs, Ga./Hillgrove HS
F	4	Caliya Robinson	13.1	7.9
6-3; Jr.; 2L; Marietta, Ga./McEachern HS

Pos	No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Auburn Tigers
Coach: Terri Williams-Flournoy
98-84 (6th year at AU)
241-188 (14th year overall)
G	14	Tiffany Lewis	5.1	1.7
5-7; R-Sr.; Chattanooga, Tenn.
G	33	Janiah McKay	17.4	3.3
5-6; Jr.; Gainesville, Fla.
F	5	Emari Jones	5.1	3.5
6-2; Jr.; Chicago, Ill.
F	15	Jazmine Jones	5.8	4.3
6-2; Sr.; Winston-Salem, N.C.
F	20	Unique Thompson	11.4	9.5
6-3; Fr.; Theodore, Ala.

TEAM COMPARISON

GEORGIA		AUBURN
73.6	Scoring	64.4
44.4%	FG%	39.8%
36.4%	3FG%	25.5%
42.2	Rebounds	35.2
17.4	Assists	11.2
6.8	Blocks	2.9
8.4	Steals	14.4
58.7	Scoring Def.	56.6
34.5%	FG% Def.	39.7%
31.8%	3FG% Def.	31.3%
+5.7	Reb. Margin	+0.8
+2.4	T/O Margin	+8.4
1.1	Ast-T/O Ratio	0.7

Game Promotions

First 1,000 fans will receive a Georgia basketball picture frame
Face painter and balloon artist
Girl Scout Day All-Sport Clinic held in the WBB practice gym at 1 p.m.
Alumni Reunion - all Georgia Lady Bulldogs alumni will be introduced at special presentations
Picture Day - Fans are invited to take photos with Coach Taylor and the team postgame

Opening Tip - Notes To Know Heading Into The Game

Georgia returns home to host Auburn on Alumni Weekend, with tipoff scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.
The Lady Bulldogs have won four-straight games, including a victory at No. 16 Texas A&M last Sunday. Georgia, now 16-2 overall, moved into the top-25 of the USA Today Coaches poll and was selected one of the top-16 NCAA Tournament seeds in the committee's preliminary reveal Thursday night.
Georgia has already matched last season's win total, doing so in just 18 games. The Lady Bulldogs are off to their best start since the 2012-13 NCAA Elite Eight team also began the year 16-2. With 16 victories, the team is guaranteed a winning season and will stay one of only three programs -- along with Tennessee and Green Bay -- to have a winning record every year since 1981-82.
Junior forward Caliya Robinson was named the SEC Player of the Week, while freshman guard Gabby Connally was tabbed the league's Freshman of the Week this past Monday. Robinson has recorded three-straight double-doubles, while Connally's 37 points against Texas A&M are the most ever for a Georgia freshman against an SEC opponent.
Georgia leads the SEC and is fourth nationally in blocked shots with 123 total and 6.8 per game as a team. The Lady Bulldogs also lead the league and are 10th nationally in field-goal percentage defense, holding opponents to just 34.5 percent shooting from the floor.
The Lady Bulldogs have won three in a row and four of the last five games against Auburn. In the Tigers' last trip to Athens in 2016, Georgia won 63-30, setting a school-record low for points allowed in a single game to an SEC opponent.
Auburn head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy was an assistant coach at Georgia from 1996-2002 before becoming head coach at Georgetown and then Auburn.

Series Information

Overall: Georgia leads, 29-18
In Athens: Georgia leads, 17-5
In Auburn: Tied, 10-10
Neutral Sites: Tied, 3-3
Current Streak: Georgia has won three in a row
Last Meeting: Georgia 56, Auburn 52 (3/2/17)
Largest Margin of Victory: Georgia 95, Auburn 61 (1/18/86)
Largest Defeat: Auburn 82, Georgia 52 (1/13/08)

Last Time Out

Georgia Lady Bulldog basketball freshman and San Antonio, Texas native Gabby Connally scored 37 points - the most by a Georgia player since Tasha Humphrey in 2005 - to lead her team to a 92-84 road win at No. 16 Texas A&M last Sunday afternoon.

Connally's performance ranks among some of the best in Georgia's storied history and is only third behind Lady Bulldog greats Coco Miller (45 against Charleston Southern in 1997) and Janet Harris (39 versus Valdosta State in 1982) for most points scored by a Georgia freshman in a single game.

"Gabby lives for these moments," head coach Joni Taylor said. "We want the ball in Gabby's hands. She can drive, she can score and she can make things happen. We put faith in her and she delivered today in front of so many friends and family who made the trip. I am happy for her and so proud of our team for fighting to get a big road win."

The Texas native hit four 3-pointers as Georgia finished with 12 overall - just one shy of the school record 13. In addition to Connally, junior forward Caliya Robinson finished just two blocks shy of a triple-double with 18 points, 19 rebounds and eight blocks.

"Coach Taylor tells me to be more aggressive, and today I was able to do that," Connally said. "I had some open looks and my teammates told me to just let it fly. We know it is never easy to come down here and get a win so I am so happy for this team.

Robinson Close To A Triple Double

Junior forward Caliya Robinson finished just two blocks shy of a triple-double with 18 points, 19 rebounds and eight blocks against No. 16 Texas A&M last Sunday. Robinson's 19 rebounds ties for the sixth-best total in school history and is the second-best total among all SEC players this season. Her eight blocks are tied for the best single-game total of all conference players this season. The Marietta, Georgia native has now recorded three-straight double-doubles.

Georgia Making A Name For Itself On The Road

The Lady Bulldogs' 7-0 record away from home is the team's best start since the 1994-95 NCAA Final Four Team began the year 11-0 outside of Athens. Overall, Georgia's 16-2 record this year, with only two losses to top-5 teams Mississippi State and Texas, is the Lady Bulldogs' fastest start since the 2012-13 NCAA Elite Eight Team went 16-2 as well.

Quality Wins for Lady Bulldogs

Georgia has seven wins against teams that won 20 or more games and made postseason play a year ago, with the Lady Bulldogs' only two losses coming to top-10 squads Texas and Mississippi State. Georgia, which is ranked 24th in the RPI, has quality wins against Virginia, Mercer, BYU, Georgia Tech, Wright State, Kentucky and Texas A&M -- all teams that won 20 or more games in 2016-17. During Joni Taylor's tenure, the Lady Bulldogs have recorded seven wins against top-25 teams in three seasons.

Strong Non-Conference Performance

Georgia finished with a 12-1 non-conference record for the second time in three years. In all, the Lady Bulldogs own a 33-8 non-conference record under Coach Taylor, a near 80-percent win percentage. This season, Georgia won its non-conference contests by an average margin of 17 points per contest.

Balanced Bulldogs

Georgia's balanced scoring has helped the team to a fast start this season. Through 18 games, eight or more players have scored in 16 contests. In all, every available player on the Lady Bulldogs' roster has scored a point, while eight players average 15 or more minutes per game.

Lady Bulldogs' Bench Shines

Georgia's bench play has been impressive this season. The Lady Bulldogs' bench players have outscored their opponents, 500-258, in the first 18 games, an average of 13.4 points per contest. During Georgia's outing against Howard on Dec. 19, the Lady Bulldogs outscored the Bison 54-14 and outmatched North Florida's bench 40-5 on Dec. 28. In the game against Vanderbilt on Jan. 4, Georgia's bench held a 41-15 edge and once again led Texas A&M 42-6 off the bench.

Georgia Beats Tech For 35th Time

The Lady Bulldogs won their sixth game in the last seven contests against Georgia Tech with a 60-53 win on Dec. 17. The victory, which improved Georgia's record to 16-0 against Tech in Athens and 35-5 overall, also gave the Lady Bulldogs a crucial win against a team with a top-40 RPI. Georgia now has five victories -- Virginia, Mercer, BYU, Georgia Tech and Wright State -- against teams that won 20 or more games last season.

It Starts With Defense Under Taylor

Georgia prides itself on defense, and that has paid off this season. The Lady Bulldogs have held four opponents (BYU, Furman, Vanderbilt and Kentucky) to their season lows in scoring. In all, the Lady Bulldogs are 19-0 under Coach Taylor when holding an opponent to 50 points or less and are 13-0 when an opponent shoots less than 40 percent this season.

Georgia boasts Top Women's Hoops Program

The Lady Bulldogs have boasted one of the top women's basketball programs in the nation over the last three decades. During head coach Andy Landers' 36-year tenure, Georgia ranked No. 2 nationally in both NCAA Tournament appearances (31) and weeks ranked by the Associated Press (522). Georgia is also one of three DI basketball programs to post a winning record every season since women's athletics became under the auspices of the NCAA with the 1981-82 season. The Lady Bulldogs' 32 NCAA Tournament appearances rank second only behind Tennessee for most in the nation.

Georgia's Clark Already A College Graduate

A three-time selection to the SEC Academic Honor Roll, Haley Clark graduated in just three years and received her diploma from UGA during graduation ceremonies this past May. Clark received her bachelor's degree in business and finance and is pursuing a master's in financial planning. One of her career goals is to work in corporate finance and help other athletes with financial planning.

Clark, Engram Earn Leadership Awards

Haley Clark and Mackenzie Engram enter their senior seasons as the leaders for the Lady Bulldogs. That leadership ability did not go unnoticed by the UGA Athletic Association this past spring, as both Clark and Engram received awards recognizing their efforts in leadership and sportsmanship. The announcement was made at the annual student-athlete awards banquet in April.

Clark received the UGA Athletics Sportsmanship-Ethics Award, which is given annually to one female and male student-athlete who are selected based upon their displays of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, friendship, caring and citizenship. Engram was chosen for the Clifford Lewis Leadership Award - an honor presented to one female student-athlete who demonstrates a commitment to a group of individuals above personal gain.

FOLLOW THE LADY BULLDOGS

For more information on the Georgia Lady Bulldogs, follow the team on Twitter (@UGA_WBB), Instagram (@uga_wbb) and Facebook (Facebook.com/UGAWomensBasketball).

Lady Bulldogs Puts 4-Game Win Streak On Line Vs. Auburn

Probable Starters

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Haley Clark

Taja Cole

Gabby Connally

Mackenzie Engram

Que Morrison

Caliya Robinson

University of Georgia Athletics

Lady Bulldogs Puts 4-Game Win Streak On Line Vs. Auburn

Probable Starters

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Haley Clark

Taja Cole

Gabby Connally

Mackenzie Engram

Que Morrison

Caliya Robinson

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