University of Georgia Athletics
Lady Bulldogs Tip Off Joni Taylor Era Sunday
November 14, 2015 | Women's Basketball
First-year head coach Joni Taylor, sophomore forward Mackenzie Engram, and senior guard Marjorie Butler talk about the season opener against Stetson.
Nov. 14, 2015
Game Information:
Georgia (0-0) vs. Stetson (0-0)* | Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015 | Stegeman Coliseum | 2 p.m. ET
Video: SEC Network + (Matt Stewart, PBP; Christi Thomas, Color)
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Network by IMG (Jeff Dantzler, PBP)
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com ()
*Stetson plays later Saturday
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.
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.
Opening Tip -- Five Things To Know
- 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.
- The Lady Bulldogs return 10 players, including four starters, off of last year's team.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
Series Information
Overall: Georgia leads, 3-0
In Athens: Georgia leads, 2-0
In DeLand: Georgia leads, 1-0
Neutral Sites: Never Met
Current Streak: Georgia - 3 straight
Last Meeting: 1/10/05 - Georgia W, 97-42 (Athens)
Georgia Game Notes
Scouting Stetson
» 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.
Seasoned Seniors Ready To Lead
» 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.
Strong Non-Conference Slate Awaits Lady Bulldogs
» 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.
» 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.
Landers' Legendary Mark On Georgia Basketball
» 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.
Barbee Back From Injury
» 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.
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.
FOLLOW THE LADY BULLDOGS
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