WBB Game Notes: Georgia Hosts Alabama in Sunday Black Out

Georgia Basketball Game Notes

#14/15 Georgia Lady Bulldogs (12-3, 1-2 SEC) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-4, 1-2 SEC)
Sunday, Jan. 9 | 3 p.m. ET
Athens, Ga. | Stegeman Coliseum (10,523)
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network (Jeff Dantzler) 960 AM The Ref, WXKT 103.7 FM | Affiliates
TV: SEC Network (Sam Gore and Tamika Catchings)
Video Stream: SECN+
Audio Stream: georgiadogs.com
History: UGA 43-12 (Full History)
Last Meeting: OT W 83-76 (2/4/2021)

TEAM COMPARISON

LADY BULLDOGS
Ranking: #15 (AP) #14 (Coaches)
Head Coach: Joni Taylor
Career Record: 131-66 (7th season)
Record at Georgia (7th season): Same

CRIMSON TIDE
Ranking: NR
Head Coach: Kristy Curry
Career Record: 452-271 (23rd season)
Record at Ala.: 143-122 (9th season)

GEORGIA (Natl. Rank)	2020-21 STATISTICS	ALABAMA (Natl. Rank)
73.9 (56)	POINTS PER GAME	73.4 (59)
55.9 (41)	SCORING DEFENSE	55.0 (32)
.447 (45)	FG PERCENTAGE	.417 (123)
.369 (75)	FG PERCENTAGE DEFENSE	.357 (47)
.310 (153)	3-PT. FG PERCENTAGE	.315 (143)
.250 (30)	3-PT. FG PERCENTAGE DEFENSE	.250 (30)
.713 (131)	FREE-THROW PERCENTAGE	.711 (137)
42.6 (37)	REBOUND AVERAGE	41.8 (49)
+8.2 (36)	REBOUND MARGIN	+4.6 (85)
17.3 (23)	ASSISTS PER GAME	12.7 (203)
+3.5 (64)	TURNOVER MARGIN	+4.3 (53)
9.8 (73)	STEALS PER GAME	9.9 (69)
6.3 (6)	BLOCKS PER GAME	3.4 (141)

Opening Tip

Georgia welcomes the Alabama Crimson Tide to Stegeman Coliseum for a 3 p.m. ET nationally-televised matchup on the SEC Network.
This is Georgia's annual Black Out game with fans encouraged to wear black.
Five of the last seven meetings between these two teams have gone into overtime with Georgia winning each of those contests. The Lady Bulldogs have won four-straight in the series and own a 43-12 all-time record against the Crimson Tide.
Georgia's roster is full of Alabama connections. Head coach Joni Taylor played for the Crimson Tide from 1997-2001 under legendary coach Rick Moody. Assistant coach Robert Mosley held the same title for Alabama women's basketball from 2010-12. Sophomore guard Sarah Ashlee Barker is from Birmingham, where she played at Spain Park High School.
Graduate center Jenna Staiti returned to the court during Thursday's game at Kentucky. After missing the LSU and Florida contests due to health and safety protocols, Staiti scored a season-high 26 points against Kentucky.
Staiti has scored in double figures in 43 of her last 50 games with 16 double-doubles during that time.
Fellow super senior Que Morrison has scored in double figures in three-straight games. Morrison is making a name for herself as arguably the top 'all-around' player in the SEC and one of the best nationally. She is the only conference player to rank in the top-5 of the SEC in assists, assist-to-turnover ratio and free-throw percentage, while also ranking in the top-10 in steals and top-20 in scoring.
Freshman forward Jillian Hollingshead was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the second-straight time as she has played big minutes in Staiti's absence. She scored six of her eight points in the second half against Florida last Sunday.

The QUE (En) Does it All

Que Morrison -- the 2021 SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and two-time SEC All-Defensive Team selection -- is literally doing it all. If you look at an SEC stat sheet, you will find Morrison's name in nearly every statistical category.

Over the course of the season, Morrison has hit big shot after big shot to carry her team. She has scored in double figures 11 times, has totaled 20 or more points on three occasions, totaled three or more steals six times and three or more assists in every single game.

Staiti Adds to Honors

Jenna Staiti is being recognized as one of the top players in all of basketball. She has been tabbed to the Lisa Leslie Award Watch List, the Naismith National Player of the Year Watch List and was recently tabbed to the Wooden Award Top-25 Watch List. She has already totaled four double-doubles this season and has reached double figures in scoring in all but two contests.

Dawgs are SEC's Most Unselfish

Georgia paces the SEC and ranks No. 7 nationally with 259 total assists this season. The team's average of 17.3 dimes per game ranks second in the conference and top-20 in the country. The Lady Bulldogs have ranked in the top-3 of the SEC in assists in six of the first seven years under head coach Joni Taylor.

Georgia has totaled 259 assists on 437 made field goals this season -- an average of 60 percent.

Not from Outside!

The Lady Bulldogs are holding team's to just 25 percent shooting from 3-point range this season. In fact, Georgia has held its opponent below 20 percent from behind the arc five times during the 2021-22 campaign.

Coombs Swipes the Irish

Senior guard Mikayla Coombs nearly set the school record with eight steals in the win against Notre Dame t -- a total that was just two shy of the school record. Coombs recorded six steals in the first quarter alone to lead her team in the early going.

On A Roll

Georgia has won 20 of its last 26 games dating back to last season. During the stretch going back to Feb. 4, 2021, Georgia has defeated five ranked teams, including No. 2 ranked Texas A&M and second-ranked NC State.

Barker's Bomb Shocks NC State

Sarah Ashlee Barker nailed a 25-foot heave at the buzzer to send the game against NC State into overtime. Barker finished with a career-best four 3-point field goals in the win, including back-to-back three's late in the game to stop a NC State rally.

No. 3 Heats up from 3

Barker has drastically improved her shooting from behind the arc throughout the course of the season. In the first four games, she hit just 2-of-14 (.143) from behind the arc, but has knocked in 48 percent (13-of-27) over the last six contests.

Overtime Success

Georgia improved to an impressive 9-2 overall in overtime games under head coach Joni Taylor. In fact, Georgia has won four-straight and nine of its last 10 OT contests.

Down Goes No. 2

Georgia's win at then No. 2-ranked NC State marked the program's first true road win against a top-25 team in program history. The victory ended the Wolfpack's 10-game win streak.

Many Contributors

Georgia's bench has outscored its opponents by a 388-167 margin, an average of 15 points per game, this season. Every available player has touched the floor in six of the team's 15 games.

Bulldog Block Party

The Lady Bulldogs set a new school record with 18 blocks in the win against Alabama State on Nov. 21. That total broke a 34-year old record from 1987, when Georgia had 16 against Mercer. The Lady Bulldogs' 18 swats are tied for the second-most in a game in SEC history.

Offensive Improvement

Head Coach Joni Taylor and her staff implemented a new offensive philosophy prior to the 2020-21 season with the goal of playing a more up-tempo style with defensive pressure.

That move has paid dividends. Since last season, Georgia has scored over 90 points four times. The Lady Bulldogs scored over 90 points just four times combined in the five seasons prior.

UGA Seniors Earn Degrees

For the second-straight year, each of Georgia's seniors have already earned their college degrees. Malury Bates (sociology), Mikayla Coombs (sport management), Que Morrison (communication studies) and Jenna Staiti (human development and family science) have all graduated from the University of Georgia.

Georgia Inks Elite Signing Class

Georgia's 2022 Signing Class is ranked No. 7 nationally according to ESPN. Janiah Barker and Sydney Bowles, two of the highest rated players in the nation, will join talented point guard product Tineya Hylton in Georgia's incoming class.

Barker – who is considered the No.1-ranked forward nationally and among the top-3 players overall -- is a native of Marietta, Ga. She currently preps at Montverde Academy in Florida. Bowles – a consensus top-10 guard prospect -- is from Lithonia, Ga., and plays at Woodward Academy. They will begin their collegiate careers during the 2022-23 campaign.

Hylton prepped at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn., before going back to Canada to play at Royal Crown Academic School in Toronto, Ontario. She will join the Lady Bulldogs this season.

Staiti Moves Into Top-5

Jenna Staiti now ranks fifth in school history with 235 career blocks. Tawana McDonald owns the program record with 297 swats during her time at Georgia. Staiti is also the SEC's active career leader in blocks.

Exceeding Expectations

Coach Taylor's teams have lived by the mantra 'It's not where you start but where you finish.' In five of her first six seasons, the Lady Bulldogs have finished well ahead of their preseason ranking. The largest jumps came in 2017-18 -- when Georgia was picked eighth and finished second -- and last season -- when the team was picked ninth and finished fourth.

Georgia's SEC Standings Under Joni Taylor

Georgia's SEC Standings Under Joni Taylor
Season	Preseason Rank	SEC Finish
2015-16	9th	6th
2016-17	12th	8th
2017-18	8th	2nd (tied)
2018-19	4th	7th
2019-20	10th	9th
2020-21	9th	4th

Staiti's Streak Continues

Jenna Staiti has become known as 'Steady Staiti' over the last two seasons -- and for good reason.

The Cumming, Ga., native has scored in double figures in 43 of her last 50 games with 16 double-doubles and t12 20-plus point efforts. It is a remarkable stat line for the All-SEC center, especially when you look back to her first two years of college basketball. During her freshman and sophomore campaigns, Staiti averaged 4.4 ppg and 1.7 rpg in 65 total games played.

Defense Travels

Georgia has become one of the top defensive teams in the SEC during Coach Taylor's tenure. In her six seasons leading the program, the Lady Bulldogs have finished either first or second in the conference in scoring defense on three occasions, including a league-best and school record 54.1 ppg in 2015-16. Last year, Georgia ranked second in the SEC, holding opponents to 60.5 ppg. The team also finished top-5 in most defensive categories, including field-goal percentage defense, 3-point field-goal percentage defense and turnovers forced.

Not Just Defense For Morrison

Que Morrison is known as one of the top defenders in the nation as she routinely guards the opponent's top player night-in and night-out. Last year, Morrison led all players in conference play with 33 steals (2.2 per game).

The Riverdale, Ga., native has also stepped it up offensively. She has now scored in double figures in 23 of her last 27 games dating back to last season.

A Healthy Dose of Que

After suffering a string of injuries in her career, Morrison finally experienced a full healthy season for the Lady Bulldogs.

Here is a look back at some of the adversity Morrison has overcome.

The defensive stopper placed on the SEC All-Freshman Team after drawing 32 starts on Georgia's NCAA tournament team. Then, in her sophomore campaign, Morrison missed the first eight games due to a torn meniscus in her left knee. In 2019-20, she had an injury to her foot before the year began. She then suffered a torn labrum in her right shoulder to end her junior campaign midway through SEC play.

Coombs Takes on Leadership Roles

Mikayla Coombs — a native of Buford, Ga. — was selected by her peers to serve as the vice chair of the SEC Women's Basketball Leadership Council. As one of four elected officers, she will participate in various meetings throughout the year to provide feedback to Athletics Directors, Senior Woman Administrators and Faculty Athletics Representatives.

This news came after she was chosen as the only student-athlete representative on the NCAA competition committee. Coombs graduated with a degree in sport management from the University of Georgia and is currently pursuing a master's in the same program. She was named a UGA Presidential Scholar in 2020, has placed on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll three times and made the Dean's List in 2021.

Coaching Consistency

Georgia has one of the longest tenured staffs in the SEC. With the return of Karen Lange, Chelsea Newton and Robert Mosley, Georgia is the only team in the conference to not have a single coaching change at any level -- head coach or assistant coach -- over the past six years.

Chapman Sticks with Basketball

Junior guard Chloe Chapman played two seasons with the Georgia soccer team, but after spending two years as a dual-sport athlete, she will now focus on just basketball. The Mitchellville, Md., native was a consensus top-40 prospect and was rated as the No. 8 overall point guard in the nation coming out of high school.

Georgia Freshmen Already Making History

Lady Bulldog freshmen Reigan Richardson and Jillian Hollingshead were both named McDonald's All-Americans, marking the first time in Georgia history the program has signed two McDonald's All-Americans in one class. Hollingshead and Richardson are the 11th and 12th McDonald's All-Americans to sign with the Lady Bulldogs and are the first to commit right out high school since Ronika Ransford in 2010. Current Lady Bulldog Mikayla Coombs was a McDonald's All-American in 2017.

A Storied History

Georgia is one of just two SEC programs (Tennessee) and one of just 16 teams nationwide to reach the 1,000 win total. The Lady Bulldogs accomplished the feat last season on the road at East Carolina, marking the latest impressive accomplishment for the storied program.

The Lady Bulldogs are one of only three teams, joining Wisconsin-Green Bay and Tennessee, to have a winning record every year since 1980 and have been to 34 of 39 NCAA tournaments.

WBB Game Notes: Georgia Hosts Alabama in Sunday Black Out

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Malury Bates

Chloe Chapman

Mikayla Coombs

Que Morrison

Jenna Staiti

University of Georgia Athletics

WBB Game Notes: Georgia Hosts Alabama in Sunday Black Out

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Malury Bates

Chloe Chapman

Mikayla Coombs

Que Morrison

Jenna Staiti

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