Thursday, January 25

Athens, Ga.

7:00 PM

University of Georgia

#11 Missouri

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Top-25 Teams Set For Showdown At Stegeman Coliseum

January 24, 2018 | Women's Basketball

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Georgia Basketball Game Notes
#20/21 Georgia Lady Bulldogs (17-2, 5-1 SEC) vs. #11 Missouri Tigers (17-2, 5-1 SEC)
Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018 // 7 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: None
Video: SECN+ (Matt Stewart— play-by-play, Angel Gray— analyst)

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Probable Starters

Pos	No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Georgia Bulldogs
Coach: Joni Taylor
54-27 (3rd year) at UGA
54-27 (3rd year) overall
G	0	Taja Cole	7.6	2.7
5-7; RS-So.; TR; Richmond, Va./Louisville
G	12	Haley Clark	4.2	2.9
5-9; Sr.; 3L; Orlando, Fla./Edgewater HS
G	23	Que Morrison	8.1	4.8
5-7; Fr.; HS; Riverdale, Ga./McEachern HS
F	33	Mackenzie Engram	13.5	6.5
6-2; Sr.; 3L; Powder Springs, Ga./Hillgrove HS
F	4	Caliya Robinson	12.7	7.7
6-3; Jr.; 2L; Marietta, Ga./McEachern HS

Pos	No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Missouri Tigers
Coach: Robin Pingeton
140-102 (8th year at UM)
475-259 (14th year overall)
G	5	Lauren Aldridge	5.8	1.7
5-7; R-Jr.; Marshfield, Mo.
G	23	Amber Smith	10.3	4.7
5-11; So.; Shreveport, La.
G	3	Sophie Cunningham	18.1	4.8
6-1; Jr.; Columbia, Mo.
F	21	Cierra Porter	10.2	8.9
6-4; Jr.; Columbia, Mo.
F	22	Jordan Fredricks	11.5	7.4
6-1; R-Sr.; Quincy, Ill.

TEAM COMPARISON

GEORGIA		MISSOURI
72.9	Scoring	73.2
44.2%	FG%	47.0%
35.9%	3FG%	38.9%
41.8	Rebounds	40.2
17.3	Assists	16.1
6.8	Blocks	3.9
8.4	Steals	5.5
58.2	Scoring Def.	58.4
34.4%	FG% Def.	35.2%
31.0%	3FG% Def.	31.7%
+5.3	Reb. Margin	+10.6
+2.5	T/O Margin	-2.6
1.1	Ast-T/O Ratio	1.1

Game Promotions

First 250 students receive a free long sleeve t-shirt and pizza
First 500 faculty and staff members receive a free t-shirt
Fans who bring their ticket from Tuesday's men's basketball game against Arkansas will receive free admission

Opening Tip - Notes To Know Heading Into The Game

No. 20 Georgia and No. 11 Missouri meet in a pivotal Southeastern Conference game Thursday evening at Stegeman Coliseum. The contest will air on SEC Network +.
The Lady Bulldogs, off to their best start since 2009-10, have won five-straight games and are looking to win their sixth consecutive league contest for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
Georgia has seven wins against top-25 teams in three years under head coach Joni Taylor. Earlier this season, the Lady Bulldogs defeated No. 16 Texas A&M, 92-84, in College Station, Texas.
Senior forward Mackenzie Engram has scored 20 points or more in three-straight games, marking the best stretch of her career. Engram currently leads the team with 13.5 points per game. Teammate Caliya Robinson has reached double figures in all but one SEC game this season (7 vs. Auburn) and paces the squad with 7.7 rebounds per contest.
Georgia leads the conference in several categories -- blocks (6.8 per game), assists (17.3 per game) and field-goal percentage defense (34.4 percent). The Lady Bulldogs have held 15 of 19 opponents below 40-percent shooting from the field, owning a 15-0 record in those games.
Even though veterans Engram and Robinson lead the team this season, three of Georgia's top-5 scorers are newcomers. Starting point guard Taja Cole, who is in her first year in Athens, ranks in the top-5 of the SEC in both assists (90) and assists per game (4.7).
This year's Georgia team has already matched last season's win total, doing so in just 18 games. The Lady Bulldogs are guaranteed a winning season and will remain one of just three programs, joining Tennessee and Green Bay, to have a winning record every year since 1981-82.

Series Information

Overall: Georgia leads, 6-4
In Athens: Georgia leads, 3-2
In Columbia: Tied, 2-2
Neutral Sites: Georgia leads, 1-0
Current Streak: Georgia has won three of the last five
Last Meeting: Missouri 63, Georgia 45 (1/1/17)
Largest Margin of Victory: Georgia 77, Missouri 46 (1/3/13)
Largest Defeat: Missouri 63, Georgia 45 (1/1/17)

Last Time Out

After trailing by three points at the half, the then No. 24-ranked Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball team used a strong second half to down the Auburn Tigers 60-48 in front of a crowd of 5,012 at Stegeman Coliseum on Sunday afternoon.

"Let's give Auburn credit, they did a great job defensively and keeping us rattled," Georgia head coach Joni Taylor said. "They know exactly who they are, what their identity is, and they stick to it. They had us rattled in the first half. On the flip side of that, we settled in and came out at half time. The defensive end is where it started."

Senior forward Mackenzie Engram headlined Georgia with 22 points and eight rebounds, recording her third-straight 20-point outing this season. The Powder Springs native has registered double-digit scoring performances in all but four games this season.

"We handled their pressure much better in the second half," Engram said. "Then we picked it up on the defensive side. Once we were able to handle their press and force them to turnover and break on those turnovers, I think that really helped us out."

Joining Engram were redshirt sophomore Taja Cole and senior Haley Clark, who provided 10 and eight points, respectively, with all but two Clark points coming in the second half.

Connally Sets Georgia Freshman Record

Georgia freshman guard Gabby Connally put together one of the best single-game freshman performances in school history during her homecoming trip to Texas A&M.

The San Antonio, Texas native scored 37 points, marking the best game by a Georgia rookie against an SEC opponent in the program's illustrious history. Not only was it the best against a league opponent, but it is tied for the third-best game by a Georgia freshman overall only behind Coco Miller's 45 points against Charleston Southern in 1997 and Janet Harris' 39-point effort versus Valdosta State in 1981. Connally scored 15 of her points in the overtime period, knocking in 11-of-12 free throws during that five-minute stretch.

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 top single-game total of all conference players this season.

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. Five of Georgia's road wins came against teams that won 20 or more games a year ago.

What A Turnaround

Just 18 games into the season, the Lady Bulldogs reached last year's win total of 16. It took 30 games for Georgia to reach the 16-win total a season ago, with that victory coming at the SEC Tournament against Auburn.

It Starts With Defense Under Taylor

Georgia prides itself on defense, and that has paid off this season. In all, the Lady Bulldogs are 20-0 under Coach Taylor when holding an opponent to 50 points or less and are 15-0 when an opponent shoots less than 40 percent in a game this season.

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 21st 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.

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 19 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, 509-258, in the first 19 games, an average of 13 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.

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.

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.

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.

A Top-10 Shot Blocker

Robinson has moved into the top-10 of the Lady Bulldogs' career blocked shots leaders. In just 76 games, Robinson has 185 blocks (2.3 per game), which ranks sixth-best in Lady Bulldog history. Perhaps even more impressive is that Robinson has done this in just 76 career games. It took Tasha Humphrey (who is currently in10th place with 119) 126 games, while Anne-Marie Armstrong (in ninth place) recorded 122 blocks in 133 contests.

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).