Andy Landers knows about big games. After all, he’s coached in everything from the national championship (twice) on down. So when asked about today’s SEC matchup with nationlly televised game against top-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge, his perspective was understandably tempered.
“It’s the biggest game that we’re going to play on Saturday,” Landers joked. “And I want to be excited about it. I want to approach it that way. It’s a big, big game. You get to play the No. 1-ranked team in the country, you ought to be excited. It ought to be a big deal. You ought to put everything you have into it. You ought to be really excited if you win it and really disappointed if you lose it. But when that game is over, we’ll move on. There will other big games this season.”
Though the Lady Bulldogs would love nothing more than to pull off the upset this afternoon, Landers knows today’s game isn’t an end all. With all due respect to the other great leagues around the nation, the life Georgia will lead in the SEC over the next two monts is difficult for those outside the confines of the region to fully grasp.
In the last six years, every SEC school has been to the NCAA Tournaments. The league has secured 41 bids to “March Madness” during that time frame – an amazing average of 6.8 per year.
Since 1990, no less than seven SEC schools have combined to garner 17 slots in the Final Four. FYI, two more have advanced to the “Elite Eight.” Over the same span, the ACC has had four schools secure eight Final Four berths, the Big Ten has had five schools with seven Final Fours, the Big 12 has had three schools with three Final Fours, the Big East has had three schools with 10 Final Fours and the Pac-10 has had one school with six Final Fours.
There’s a good reason games like today’s are said to have an “NCAA feel” to them – they do. But so will many more of the next two months.
Andy Landers is...
Alexis Kendrick is...
Sherill Baker is...
| The Matchups | | Georgia Lady Bulldogs | | LSU Lady Tigers | | | Record: | 12-3, 2-0 SEC | | Record: | 13-1, 0-0 SEC | | Rankings: | No. 17 AP, | | Rankings: | No. 1 AP | | | No. 16 USA Today/ESPN | | | No. 1 USA Today/ESPN | | Coach: | Andy Landers | | Coach: | Pokey Chatman | | | 622-192 (.764) 26th at UGA | | | 13-1 (.929) 1st at LSU | | | 704-213 (.768) 30th overall | | | 13-1 (.929) 1st at LSU | | | Probable Starters | | No. | Name | PPG | RPG | | No. | Name | PPG | RPG | | 31 | Alexis Kendrick | 7.0 | 3.3 | G | 2 | Tameka Johnson | 9.9 | 2.7 | | | (5-7; Jr.; Inglewood, Calif.) | | (5-3; Sr.; New Orleans, La.) | | 11 | Sherill Baker | 11.3 | 5.1 | G | 32 | Schlonda Hoston | 8.9 | 2.6 | | | (5-8; Jr.; Stone Mountain, Ga.) | | (5-10; Jr.; Miami, Fla.) | | 21 | Cori Chambers | 14.3 | 4.3 | G | 33 | Seimone Augustus | 20.4 | 4.5 | | | (5-9; Soph.; Elmsford, N.Y.) | | (6-1; Jr.; Baton Rouge, La.) | | 50 | Rebecca Rowsey | 5.3 | 5.7 | F | 34 | Wendlyn Jones | 4.5 | 5.1 | | | (6-3; Soph.; Henderson, Tenn.) | | (6-1; Jr.; Blytheville, Ark.) | | 34 | Tasha Humphrey | 18.8 | 8.6 | F | 52 | Tillie Willis | 3.1 | 3.5 | | | (6-3; Fr.; Gainesville, Ga.) | | (6-3; Sr.; Mableton, Ga.) | | Off The Bench | | 14 | Janese Hardrick | 8.1 | 2.1 | G | C | 31 | Sylvia Fowles | 12.1 | 9.1 | | | (5-6; Soph.; Powder Springs, Ga.) | | (6-5; Fr.; Miami, Fla.) | | 24 | Megan Darrah | 4.6 | 2.9 | G/F | G | 15 | Quianna Chaney | 5.1 | 0.7 | | | (6-3; Fr.; Moreland, Ga.) | | (5-11; Fr.; Baton Rouge, La.) | | 13 | Jessica Pierce | 3.8 | 3.5 | F | 54 | Ashley Thomas | 1.5 | 1.9 | | | (6-2; Sr.; Pensacola, Fla.) | | (6-0; Fr.; Stone Mountain, Ga.) | | 33 | Katie Frye | 2.3 | 1.1 | F | 22 | Florence Williams | 2.2 | 1.6 | | | (6-0; Sr.; Jasper, Ga.) | | (6-1; Sr.; Miami, Fla.) | |
Lady Dogs lead series, including strong mark in Baton Rouge
Georgia enters today’s matchup with LSU sporting a 18-9 advantage in its all-time series with the Lady Tigers. The Lady Dogs are 6-3 versus LSU in Baton Rouge. Each of the last three meetings has been and instant classic decided with less than 60 seconds on the clock.
Most recently (and painfully), the Lady Tigers secured a 62-60 victory over Georgia in the championship game of last season’s NCAA West Regional. Seimone Augustus poured in 29 points to help secure LSU’s first-ever Final Four bid.
A complete box score of that game – as well as game-by-game results from the series – can be found on Page 3 of these Game Notes.
Last year during the regular season, some clutch free throw shooting down the stretch prevented the first four-game losing streak in Andy Landers’ 25 seasons at Georgia. Christi Thomas and Janese Hardrick hit both ends of one-and-ones with less than 40 seconds left to lead the Lady Bulldogs to an 80-74 victory. Augustus tied the game with a three-pointer with 55 seconds left before Georgia hit 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch to end only the fourth three-game losing streak during Landers’ tenure in Athens. Hardrick finished with what was then a career-high 25 points, while Augustus led LSU with 24.
In the most recent matchup in Baton Rouge, Tameka Johnson nailed an 15-foot jumper from the left wing with just over 30 seconds remaining to thwart a Georgia rally and secure a 68-64 win for LSU. Augustus scored 24 points and grabbed 19 rebounds to lead the Lady Tigers, while Alexis Kendrick led four Lady Dogs in double figures with 17.
Most of the same cast members are here
A vast majority of the principle players in last season’s West Regional Final will be on the court this afternoon. Both Georgia and LSU sport four of the same five starters as they did at the end of last season.
In fact, the only players missing – Georgia’s Christi Thomas and LSU’s Doneeka Hodges – are now teammates on the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.
Tube time nothing new
With victories over No. 2 Texas and Ole Miss this season, Georgia has improved its all-time record in televised games to 95-52 (.646).
Today’s game is the third of nine TV dates for the Lady Bulldogs during the regular season. In addition, the Jan. 27 Florida game will air on CSS, the Jan. 31 Tennessee game will air on espn2, the Feb. 3 Alabama game will air on CSS, the Feb. 13 Clemson game will be on FOX, the Feb. 24 Florida game will air on Sunshine Network and the Feb. 27 Vanderbilt game will air on espn2 or FOX.
UGA, CBS roots go way back
Georgia is 3-4 all-time on CBS dating back to the network’s broadcast of the 1985 NCAA Championship game between the Lady Bulldogs and Old Dominion (a 70-65 ODU win).
In addition, UGA and CBS were part of a landmark day in women’s college basketball history. On January 5, 1991, Georgia took part in the first-ever network broadcast of a regular-season women’s college hoops.
CBS aired the inaugural Big Ten-SEC Challenge in Iowa City, Iowa, where the Lady Dogs defeated homestanding Iowa, 62-51, and Auburn knocked off Purdue, 76-65. Prior to that day, the only network broadcasts of women’s basketball were the NCAA Championship games themselves.
Let’s continue the trend
The Lady Bulldogs have knocked off each of the last three top-five ranked teams they’ve faced.
Georgia defeated No. 1 Tennessee in the semifinals of last season’s SEC Tournament and then topped No. 3 Purdue in the “Sweet 16” round of the NCAAs. Earlier this season, the Lady Dogs beat No. 2 Texas.
All told, Georgia is 23-48 in games against top-five ranked teams, including a 3-13 mark versus No. 1 teams. Interestingly, the Lady Bulldogs are 3-2 against top-ranked teams in post-season games.
Another title meeting
The returning letterwinners for Georgia and LSU aren’t the only players on the floor today who have faced off for the highest stakes.
In the title game of the 2003 Georgia Class AAAAA State Tournament, UGA freshman Sara Kate Greene scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Parkview High to victory over LSU freshman Ashley Thomas’ Stephenson High squad. Thomas also had 14 points. Stephenson returned the favor in 2004, defeating Parkview in the quarterfinals.
Lady Dogs play Groundhog Day for SEC oppposition
Due to a scheduling quirk, Georgia will serve as the opponent in the SEC opener for its third straight SEC school today.
Last Thursday, the Lady Bulldogs topped Arkansas, 78-57, in the first game played by any SEC schools this season. That contest was originally schedule for Feb. 13, but was moved for both teams to participate in the Russell Athletic Shootout the day before Valentine’s.
Two days ago, Georgia defeated Ole Miss, 78-51, in the Lady Rebels’ first conference game of the season.
Today, the Lady Dogs play LSU in the Lady Tigers’ inaugural SEC date of 2005. With its victory over Arkansas, Georgia improved to 19-4 record in the opening games of its Southeastern Conference schedule since the league began contesting a regular-season SEC slate during the 1982-83 campaign. The Lady Dogs are 10-1 all-time in SEC openers at Stegeman Coliseum.
Birthday bonanza continues with Kendrick
Georgia opened the 2004-05 season on Nov. 19. On Monday (Jan. 3) – just 46 days later – Alexis Kendrick will become the eighth Georgia player to celebrate her birthday since the season began.
All told, a minimum of nine Lady Dogs will enjoy their cake day during the 2004-05 campaign...although we’d be more than happy to have Sara Kate Greene (who’s b-day is April 3) become a 10th.
Reicina Russell, who transferred to Georgia from Penn State this fall, began the string when she celebrated her birthday on Nov. 22. Russell is able to practice with but not play for the Lady Bulldogs this season per NCAA rules regarding transfers. She will be a sophomore eligibility wise next fall.
Other hat wearers to date include Jessica Pierce on Nov. 30, Sherill Baker on Dec. 3, Megan Darrah on Dec. 6, Desiré Bostice on Dec. 15, Rebecca Rowsey on Dec. 23 and Tasha Humphrey on Dec. 30. Next up?? Katie Frye on March 9.
Humphrey honored again, joins elite list
Tasha Humphrey’s stellar freshman season continued with a history-making accolade on Monday. Humphrey was named SEC Player of the Week, becoming the first freshman in Lady Bulldog history to be honored as such on two occasions.
In fact, Humphrey became only the second Lady Bulldog to be honored as SEC Player of the Week twice in the same season since the league instituted the honor in 1987. As a senior, Katrina McClain was named SEC Player of the Week three times en route to earning National Player of the Year accolades in 1987.
“Players like Tasha are very rare,” Andy Landers said. “She has great size. She has great skills. She’s aggressive. She’s a competitor. The thing that makes Tasha so rare is that in addition to having all of those things, she has a tremendous sense and feel for the game. She really understands basketball.”
| UGA Career Assists | | | Player | No. | Years | | 1. | Teresa Edwards | 653 | 1982-86 | | 2. | Kelly Miller | 639 | 1997-01 | | 3. | Adrienne Shuler | 553 | 1987-91 | | 4. | Rachel Powell | 436 | 1993-97 | | 5. | Lady Hardmon | 433 | 1988-92 | | 6. | Carla Green | 425 | 1985-89 | | 7. | Saudia Roundtree | 421 | 1994-96 | | 8. | Coco Miller | 396 | 1997-01 | | 9. | Alexis Kendrick | 367 | 2002- | | 10. | Lisa O'Connor | 347 | 1982-86 | | UGA Career Steals | | | Player | No. | Years | | 1. | Teresa Edwards | 342 | 1982-86 | | 2. | Adrienne Shuler | 308 | 1987-91 | | 3. | Kedra Holland-Corn | 302 | 1993-97 | | 4. | Kelly Miller | 285 | 1997-01 | | 5. | Janet Harris | 279 | 1981-85 | | 6. | Carla Green | 238 | 1985-89 | | 7. | Sherill Baker | 234 | 2002- | | 8. | Coco Miller | 225 | 1997-01 | | 9. | Bernadette Mattox | 218 | 1979-81 | | 10. | Cynthia Collins | 207 | 1979-83 | | |
Last week, Humphrey averaged 17.0 points and connected on 63.6 percent of her shots from the floor in leading the Lady Bulldogs to wins over Arkansas and Tennessee-Martin. Against the Lady ’Backs, Humphrey scored 24 points – her fifth straight game of 20 or more – and grabbed 12 rebounds – her fifth double-double of the season. Versus Tennessee-Martin, she scored 10 points, her 13th double-digit outing in 14 games.
Humphrey also was named SEC Player of the Week on Nov. 22, a day after she scored 27 points in a win over second-ranked Texas. She became only the second player to be named as the league’s player of the week during their debut effort as a collegian. Tennessee’s Chamique Holdsclaw did so to open the 1995-96 season.
A busy bunch of Lady Bulldogs continue their breakneck pace
The 2004-05 Georgia Lady Bulldogs have been among the busiest bunches in the program’s storied history. Georgia put together a 9-3 record following its last game before the Christmas holidays and will play five games a dozen days immediately thereafter.
“I think the first thing you have to do from a coaching standpoint is to try to be prepared but try to be fresh,” Andy Landers said. “You have to be constantly looking ahead to try to calculate what corners you can cut from the standpoint of conserving energy. Other than that, I think the players enjoy it. I think they look forward to playing games. Any time you can squeeze three into five days, they generally have a good time with it.”
The 12-game slate the Lady Dogs played before the break represented the second-most games Georgia has ever played before the holidays. The 1999-2000 Lady Bulldogs played 14 games before Christmas en route to securing a school-record 32 victories and the program’s seventh SEC Championship.
Locker room, “G” remain off limits
Since Dec. 6, the Lady Bulldogs have been supplying their own practice clothes and Andy Landers has not allowed the team to use its 3,600-square-foot locker room facility.
“I don’t think we’re representing ourselves like a Georgia Basketball team right now,” Landers said. “I think we take a lot of things for granted. I don’t think they understand what the ‘G’ on the uniform has represented for the last 26 years, getting up and down the floor with passion. It’s just not acceptable.”
Following Thursday’s decisive win over Ole Miss, Landers said his team was headed in a much better direction than it was a month earlier.
“We’re getting there,” Landers said. “We haven’t turned the corner in many ways. But in some ways we’re inching forward and making progress. The thing about tonight’s game was it was solid by everyone.”
Baker, Kendrick join UGA’s top-10s
Sherill Baker and Alexis Kendrick have been mainstays for the Lady Dogs since they arrived in Athens. Both own prominent places among the Lady Dogs’ statistical leaders for freshmen and sophomores, and this season they already have placed themselves alongside greatest names in UGA’s career annals.
Baker, who combined for 193 steals en route to breaking Georgia’s freshman and sophomore records for thefts, added 11 more to that total versus Furman and Texas to move past Lady Hardmon and Wanda Holloway into the No. 10 spot on the Lady Bulldogs’ career leaders ledger. Baker then passed Cynthia Collins against TCU, Bernadette Mattox in the Augusta State contest and Coco Miller in the Marist matchup.
Kendrick, who dished out 313 assists during her first two seasons at Georgia, handed out eight more in the season-opener against Furman to move past La’Keshia Frett and Lou Sims into the No. 10 position among the Lady Bulldogs’ career leaders for dishes. She then passed Lisa O’Connor to move into the No. 9 spot versus Arizona State.
81 or more still the magic score
Georgia’s 98-, 87-, 93 and 96-point outings against Furman, Santa Clara, Augusta State and Iona, respectively, added even more notches to perhaps the greatest indicator in all of college athletics – other than the most obvious of outscoring the opponent.
The Lady Dogs improved their astronomical record under Andy Landers when the Lady Bulldogs have topped that mark. Semantically, that means 81 points or more, but “more than 80” rolls off the tongue better.
The Lady Dogs are now 355-5 when they’ve scored more than 80 points under Landers – an almost unfathomable winning percentage of 98.61111111111.
