Georgia Hosts North Florida In Non-Conference Finale

December 27, 2017 | Women's Basketball

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Georgia Basketball Game Notes
Georgia Lady Bulldogs (11-1) vs. North Florida Ospreys (7-6)
Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017 // 2 pm 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
Video: SEC Network + (Matt Stewart - play-by-play; Christy Thomaskutty - analyst)

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Probable Starters

Pos	No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Georgia Bulldogs
Coach: Joni Taylor
48-26 (3rd year) at UGA
48-26 (3rd year) overall
G	0	Taja Cole	8.5	2.3
5-7; RS-So.; TR; Richmond, Va./Louisville
G	12	Haley Clark	3.8	2.0
5-9; Sr.; 3L; Orlando, Fla./Edgewater HS
G	23	Que Morrison	9.8	4.6
5-7; Fr.; HS; Riverdale, Ga./McEachern HS
F	33	Mackenzie Engram	12.8	6.7
6-2; Sr.; 3L; Powder Springs, Ga./Hillgrove HS
F	4	Caliya Robinson	11.8	6.7
6-3; Jr.; 2L; Marietta, Ga./McEachern HS

Pos	No.	Name	PPG	RPG

North Florida Ospreys
Coach: Darrick Gibbs
24-49 (3rd year at UNF)
24-49 (3rd year) overall
G	3	Tiffany Tolbert	9.0	2.2
5-8; Fr.; Orlando, Fla.
G	4	Adrienne Jackson	10.3	4.8
5-9; So.; Leesburg, Fla.
G	2	Ty Purifoy	5.7	2.2
5-1; Jr.; Pensacola, Fla.
G/F	24	Maiya Rumph	6.1	5.1
6-0; Sr.; Madison, Ala.
F	22	Keonna Farmer	14.3	8.5
6-1; R-Sr.; Birmingham, Ala.

TEAM COMPARISON

GEORGIA		NORTH FLORIDA
73.4	Scoring	64.5
45.3%	FG%	37.7%
36.2%	3FG%	31.1%
41.1	Rebounds	36.5
18.3	Assists	10.2
5.8	Blocks	2.5
8.6	Steals	10.0
57.6	Scoring Def.	67.2
34.8%	FG% Def.	40.4%
34.5%	3FG% Def.	29.2%
+5.3	Reb. Margin	-5.8
+3.2	T/O Margin	+3.1
1.2	Ast-T/O Ratio	0.6

Opening Tip - Notes To Know Heading Into The Game

Georgia hosts North Florida in its non-conference finale Thursday afternoon at Stegeman Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on SEC Network +.
The Lady Bulldogs have won four-straight games since their only loss of the season against then-No. 2 Texas on Dec. 3. Georgia has five wins (Virginia, Mercer, BYU, Georgia Tech and Wright State) against teams that won 20 or more games and made postseason play a year ago.
Georgia is 32-8 (80 percent win percentage) in non-conference games during Joni Taylor's first three seasons as head coach. With a win Thursday, Georgia can match its 12-1 start in Coach Taylor's first year.
Senior forward Mackenzie Engram, who is coming off a 20-point effort against Wright State before Christmas break, leads Georgia in both scoring and rebounding this season. She has reached double figures in scoring in 10 of 12 games.
Georgia's added depth has paid off this season. Over the last three games, the Lady Bulldogs' bench has outscored its opponents 104-38 -- an average of 22 points per game. Three of the Lady Bulldogs' top-5 scorers are first year players - Que Morrison, Taja Cole and Gabby Connally.
Following Thursday's game against North Florida, Georgia opens SEC play at home against Mississippi State at 6 p.m. ET on New Year's Eve.

Game Promotions

Postgame Clinic - 50 children will join the Lady Bulldogs on the court after the game for a postgame clinic

Series Information vs. North Florida

First Meeting

Last Time Out

Four double-digit scoring performances, including 20 points from senior Mackenzie Engram, lifted the Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball team to an 87-71 defeat of the Wright State Raiders on Dec. 21 at Stegeman Coliseum.

Georgia improved to 11-1 on the season. Wright State, who was ranked No. 15 in the latest mid-major poll, dropped just its third game of the season, moving to 9-3.

Engram's 20 points marked her third 20-point outing of her career and 10th double-digit scoring performance of the season. The forward also shot 8-for-11 from the field, tying a personal and team season-best.

"I think we've played pretty unselfish all year long," Georgia head coach Joni Taylor said. "If you look at our stats, we're shooting it better than we have the last couple of years. Because of the players we have and their commitment to getting better, it's tough to play us in a zone defense."

Georgia Unselfish With the Ball, Among League Leaders In Assists

Head coach Joni Taylor's squad ranks first in the SEC in assists per game this season with 18.3 per contest. Point guard Taja Cole has been the catalyst for the Lady Bulldogs. She is fifth in the conference in assists and is sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio with 59 assists and 26 turnovers this season.

Veteran Frontcourt Leads Lady Bulldogs

Georgia's seasoned frontcourt of Mackenzie Engram and Caliya Robinson lead Georgia in both scoring and rebounding this season. Engram has scored in double figures in all but two games, while Robinson has hit the double-figure scoring mark in all but three contests this year.

Balanced Bulldogs Making A Difference

Georgia's balanced scoring has helped the team to a fast start this season. Through 12 games, eight or more players have scored in 10 contests so far. The Lady Bulldogs, which played with just eight scholarship players last season, have been aided by newcomers who make up three of Georgia's top five scorers. Que Morrison leads the 2017 freshman class with 9.8 ppg.

Lady Bulldogs Bench Shines, Same Starting Five In Each Game

Georgia's bench play has been impressive this season. The Lady Bulldogs' bench players have outscored their opponents, 320-190, in the first 12 games, an average of 10.8 points per contest. During Georgia's outing against Howard on Dec. 19, the Lady Bulldogs outscored the Bison 54-14 in bench points. Coach Taylor's team has also found consistency in its starting five this season. Georgia has used the same lineup of Cole, Clark, Morrison, Engram and Robinson through the first 12 games.

Freshmen Combine For Points Barrage

During Georgia's outing against Howard on Dec. 19, Lady Bulldog freshmen combined for 47 total points, led by a new career-high of 20 points from Maya Caldwell and 11 from Malury Bates. You have to go back to 2009 to find the last time a Georgia freshman class combined for that many points in a single game. That year it was Jasmine James (24), Anne-Marie Armstrong (14), Ebony Jones (6) and Jasmine Hassell (5) who combined to score 49 points in a December matchup against Southern Miss.

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 two opponents (BYU and Furman) to their season lows in scoring and four to their season lows in field goal percentage (BYU, Furman, Georgia Tech and Howard). BYU shot a season-low 35.1 percent from the field, while Furman hit just 27.3 percent and Georgia Tech shot at a 29.7 percent clip. In all, the Lady Bulldogs are 18-0 under Coach Taylor when holding an opponent to 50 points or less and are 9-0 when an opponent shoots less than 40 percent this season.

Robinson Named to Naismith, Katrina McClain Award Watch Lists

Lady Bulldog junior forward Caliya Robinson has received national attention for her efforts on the court. Among the SEC's returning leaders in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, Robinson was named to the Citizen Naismith Trophy National Player of the Year Watch List, joining 50 of the top players from around the country. Before the season started, she was tabbed a Katrina McClain Award Watch List candidate, placing Robinson's name among the top 20 power forwards from across the country.

Morrison's Debut Among Best For Georgia Freshmen

Que Morrison's 19-point effort in the season-opener against Wofford puts her name among a prestigious group of Lady Bulldog freshmen. Morrison's total is the most for a Georgia rookie in a season-opening game since Tasha Humphrey scored 25 versus Furman at the beginning of the 2004-05 season.

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.

A native of Orlando, Florida, Clark was Georgia's starting point guard in each of the team's 31 games last season. She ranked in the top-5 in the Southeastern Conference in assists per game during league play, averaging 4.7 per contest, with 122 total for the season. On a roster that featured just eight scholarship players, Clark played close to 33 minutes per game after starting just four contests in her previous two seasons combined.

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