University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Hosts Vanderbilt on Alumni Weekend
January 07, 2017 | Women's Basketball
Georgia Basketball Game Notes
Lady Bulldog Info
Game & Broadcast Info
- Opponent: Vanderbilt Commodores
- Records: Georgia (9-6, 1-1 SEC), Vanderbilt (10-5, 0-2 SEC)
- Rankings: Georgia NR, Vanderbilt NR
- Tipoff: Sunday, January 8 - 12:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Stegeman Coliseum // Athens, Ga.
- TV: SEC Network (Paul Sunderland - play-by-play; Andy Landers - analyst)
- Video Stream: SECN+
- Radio:Georgia Bulldog Network by IMG // Jeff Dantzler (PBP) // In Athens: WRFC-AM 960 | Affiliates
- Audio Stream: Georgiadogs.com | Mobile
- Live Stats:
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Complete Game Notes
Opening Tip
- Georgia welcomes Vanderbilt for its annual Alumni Reunion Weekend on Sunday at Noon ET on the SEC Network. Several Lady Bulldog alumni will be in attendance and will honored at the game. In addition, there will be free pizza provided for the first 200 students in attendance.
- The Lady Bulldogs enter the contest following an impressive 69-59 victory against Texas A&M on Thursday. The Aggies, who are receiving votes in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls, represent the second NCAA Tournament team from a year ago that Georgia has beaten (the other being BYU).
- Georgia held Texas A&M to its lowest field-goal percentage of the season (35.9%). The Lady Bulldogs, who led the league in scoring defense, field-goal percentage defense and 3-point field-goal percentage defense last season, have held 10 teams to 40 percent or lower shooting, boasting a 9-1 record in those games.
- Junior guard/forward Pachis Roberts leads the Lady Bulldogs in SEC play through two games, averaging 14.5 ppg. In fact, Roberts has scored a combined 58 points in the last three games this season.
- Georgia has won five-straight SEC home games dating back to last year. In all, the Lady Bulldogs are 6-3 against SEC foes and 21-5 overall at home under head coach Joni Taylor.
- The Lady Bulldogs have won three of the last four meetings between the two programs. The only loss during that span came during last year's SEC Tournament, with Vandy taking that game 54-49 in overtime.
Series Information
Overall: Georgia leads, 35-27
In Athens: Georgia leads, 18-7
In Nashville: Vanderbilt leads, 13-10
Neutral Sites: Tied, 7-7
Current Streak: Georgia has won 3 of the last 4
Last Meeting: Vandy 54, UGA 49 (OT) - 3/3/16 at the SEC Tournament in Jacksonville, Fla.
Scouting Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt is led by first-year SEC head coach Stephanie White, who came to Nashville after spending two seasons as the head coach of the WNBA's Indiana Fever. The Commodores returned four starters off of last year's squad and can go 10-12 players deep during a game. Vanderbilt has lost four-straight games but before that won eight consecutive games from Nov. 20-Dec. 18, which started with a notable win against current No. 13-ranked Duke. Rachel Bell leads the team in scoring with her 12.1 ppg, while Christa Reed averages 10.6 ppg.
Four In Double Figures Against Aggies
Georgia jumped out early and never relinquished the lead against Texas A&M on Thursday, building as much as a 19-point advantage in the first half. A big reason for the Lady Bulldogs' success was balanced scoring -- Mackenzie Engram, Pachis Roberts, Simone Costa and Caliya Robinson were all in double figures -- and a stifling defense that held A&M to just 35.9% shooting from the floor.
Career Days Against Western Carolina
Three players set career highs in scoring in the win against Western Carolina last week. Shanea Armbrister recorded her first career double-figure scoring game with 13 points, while Simone Costa scored 14 and Pachis Roberts scored 29. Roberts' total put her above the 20-point mark for just the second time in her career.
Robinson Puts Her Name Among Georgia Greats
With her 24-point, 11-rebound effort against Samford on Dec. 22, Caliya Robinson became just the fourth Lady Bulldog since 2000 to record three or more 20-point, 10 rebound games in their careers, joining an elite group of former Lady Dogs - Tasha Humphrey, Christi Thomas and Kara Braxton.
Robinson currently ranks 10th in the league in scoring with 15.9 points per game. She already has 12 double-figure scoring efforts (surpassing last year's total) and four double-doubles (tying last year's total).
The First 30 Since 2008
Caliya Robinson became the first Lady Bulldog since Tasha Humphrey in 2008 to score 30 points in a single game. Robinson had a career day against Minnesota on Nov. 24, scoring 30 points off a 14-for-27 shooting performance. Humphrey scored 32 points against Florida on Feb. 24, 2008.
Pachis Ups Production In Final Season
Pachis Roberts has recorded three double-doubles in her career -- all of them coming this season. The senior from Powder Springs, Georgia currently ranks fifth in the SEC in minutes played (33.9 per game) and has played 40-plus minutes three times this season.
Short Bench, Starting Five Shift for The Lady Bulldogs
Georgia's roster features just eight scholarship players and one walk-on this season. A big reason for that is the Lady Bulldogs lost four senior starters off last year's team and lost incoming freshman Kortney Eisenman due to a heart condition before the start of the season.
Georgia has used six different starting lineup combinations so far with the lastest being the combination of Haley Clark, Simone Costa, Pachis Roberts, Mackenzie Engram and Caliya Robinson.
Engram Scores Career High On 21st Birthday
Junior forward Mackenzie Engram celebrated her 21st Birthday on Nov. 29 by scoring a career-high 23-points against Kennesaw State. Engram, who sat out the final 15 games last season due to an illness known as Pericarditis, has scored in double figures seven times this season, including two 20-plus point efforts.
Georgia Downs Pair Of Conference Champs
The Lady Bulldogs have taken down two teams that won their respective conference championships last season. Mercer, the 2016 Southern Conference Co-Champion returned all five starters, while BYU returned three starters off its 2016 West Coast Conference championship team. The Cougars set several school records last season, including a 16-game win streak late in the year, on their way to the NCAA Tournament.
Joni Taylor Gives Birth To First Baby Girl
Head coach Joni Taylor and her husband Darius welcomed their first child, Jacie Elise Taylor, into the world Nov. 3. She weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces and is 20 inches long. Associate head coach Karen Lange took over head coaching duties in the interim through the first six games. Taylor was on the bench for each of those games, except when the team played in the Bahamas on Nov. 24 and 26.
Lady Bulldogs Go International
Georgia's roster has an international feel to it this season with the addition of Romania native and Washington State transfer Bianca Blanaru as well as Portugal native Simone Costa. Shanea Armbrister, who is in her second season with the Lady Bulldogs, grew up in the Bahamas and will make a return trip home when Georgia travels to the Junkanoo Jam on Nov. 24-26.
Georgia Replacing Production
Entering 2016-17, the Lady Bulldogs had to replace four senior starters off of last year's team. Shacobia Barbee, Tiaria Griffin, Merritt Hempe and Marjorie Butler accounted for 65 percent of Georgia's scoring and over 50 percent of the team's rebounding a season ago. Barbee and Griffin were two All-SEC performers, while Butler played in all 31 games at the point guard spot. The group combined for 479 games played and made three NCAA Tournaments (Elite Eight in 2013).
Georgia's 2017 Signing Class Ranked Top-10 Nationally
The Lady Bulldogs' 2017 signing class currently ranks among the top-10 in the nation according to ESPN.com's Hoopgurlz. Georgia signed four highly-touted recruits, including five-star guards Que Morrison and Gabby Connally, four-star guard Maya Caldwell and four-star forward Malury Bates. Each player is ranked in the top-15 at her position nationally, with Morrison coming in as the No. 7 ranked overall guard, Connally the No. 8 point guard, Bates the No. 8-ranked forward and Caldwell the 15th-ranked wing prospect nationally.
FOLLOW THE 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).
