University of Georgia Athletics
Lady Bulldogs Newcomers Shine In Opener
November 04, 2024 | Women's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Georgia women's basketball newcomers were seemingly everywhere Monday night at Stegeman Coliseum. Big and small, starter and reserve, Lady Bulldogs playing in their first game in the Georgia red and black accounted for a combined 80 points and 53 rebounds in the team's 96-52 season-opening win over North Carolina Central.
Of the nine Lady Bulldogs that played Monday, only senior returning starters Asia Avinger and De'Mauri Flournoy — both veteran guards that can score and lead the offense — and junior Amiya Evans had taken the court for Georgia in a game. Joining them in the starting lineup were true freshmen Trinity Turner and Mia Woolfolk. It was the first time two freshmen started the opener for Georgia since Kelly and Coco Miller did it in 1997.
"Amazing. Amazing," Makolo said of her first game for Georgia. "The fans, Athens, being able to play in front of a crowd, it was something we were looking forward to."
Five Lady Bulldogs scored 10 or more points and three had at least 10 rebounds.
"There's enough for everyone to eat," Makolo said.
Woolfolk, a 6-foot-3 forward, earned the first double-double of her career, finishing with 18 points and 13 rebounds in less than 19 minutes of action. She also went 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. Also posting a double-double was Evans, who finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Woolfolk said she was never nervous before games back in high school in Midlothian, Va., but she did feel some pregame jitters Monday.
"It was a little different for me, having nerves before the game," she said, adding that there will be "no more nerves" moving forward.
Turner also made a very strong first impression, scoring 15 points, grabbing six rebounds and getting three steals in a little over 21 minutes. A 5-6 point guard from Orlando, Fla., Turner played every second of the opening quarter. With six points and two steals in the first quarter, Turner helped Georgia run out to a 28-10 lead.
Several years ago, when Turner was an eighth-grader, she played against Georgia coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson's daughter, Savannah, who is now a UGA redshirt sophomore. Turner made quite an impression on Coach ABE, who was still coaching at UCF at the time.
"She was an eighth-grader and killed us," Coach ABE said back in September.
Now, Turner is playing for the Lady Bulldogs and directing the offense.
"Having a freshman start at the point, she's really special," Coach ABE said.
One element of Turner's game that will take some time, Coach ABE said, is her passing and assists. That's because her teammates have to learn to be ready for the ball at all times.
"She would have had way more assists if we could get people to catch (the passes)," Coach ABE said. "What Trinity does is she goes in there and she won't stare at you and say 'I'm passing to you.' She's going to look over here and pass there. We've got to get used to playing with her and getting your hands ready.
"She's pretty special and I'm excited to see her growth this whole year."
A year ago, it was Avinger and Flournoy, a pair of 5-7 transfers, making their Georgia debuts. In a 71-59 win over North Carolina A&T, Avinger scored 11 of the Lady Bulldogs' first 17 points, finishing with 15, while Flournoy scored seven in a row during a key stretch in the tight game and also finished with 15. On Monday, they both had eight points and three rebounds and Avinger also had five of Georgia's 13 steals.
Avinger and another freshman guard, Summer Davis (whose twin sister Indya also played well Monday), capped off the first half in fitting fashion. In the closing seconds, Davis got a steal and fired the ball ahead toward to a sprinting Avinger who barely had a chance to corral the ball before flicking it in off the glass as time expired, putting Georgia up 54-22.
Summer Davis finished with 11 points, five rebounds and four assists, hitting three 3-pointers, while sister Indya had seven points, four rebounds and two assists. Miyah Verse, who redshirted last season, added nine points, 10 rebounds and two steals.
"The one thing that they all do is play hard, almost to the point where I'm like, calm down," Coach ABE said of her team. "I really think that starts with Asia, because Asia plays extremely hard, so if you have a leader like that, and Roxy plays extremely hard, and they're upperclassmen, so the freshmen don't think they can take a play off or a run off or anything.
"They've got some upperclassmen that will push them every day."
The Lady Bulldogs are back at the Steg on Friday against Houston.
Staff Writer
Georgia women's basketball newcomers were seemingly everywhere Monday night at Stegeman Coliseum. Big and small, starter and reserve, Lady Bulldogs playing in their first game in the Georgia red and black accounted for a combined 80 points and 53 rebounds in the team's 96-52 season-opening win over North Carolina Central.
Of the nine Lady Bulldogs that played Monday, only senior returning starters Asia Avinger and De'Mauri Flournoy — both veteran guards that can score and lead the offense — and junior Amiya Evans had taken the court for Georgia in a game. Joining them in the starting lineup were true freshmen Trinity Turner and Mia Woolfolk. It was the first time two freshmen started the opener for Georgia since Kelly and Coco Miller did it in 1997.
"Amazing. Amazing," Makolo said of her first game for Georgia. "The fans, Athens, being able to play in front of a crowd, it was something we were looking forward to."
Five Lady Bulldogs scored 10 or more points and three had at least 10 rebounds.
"There's enough for everyone to eat," Makolo said.
Woolfolk, a 6-foot-3 forward, earned the first double-double of her career, finishing with 18 points and 13 rebounds in less than 19 minutes of action. She also went 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. Also posting a double-double was Evans, who finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Woolfolk said she was never nervous before games back in high school in Midlothian, Va., but she did feel some pregame jitters Monday.
"It was a little different for me, having nerves before the game," she said, adding that there will be "no more nerves" moving forward.
Turner also made a very strong first impression, scoring 15 points, grabbing six rebounds and getting three steals in a little over 21 minutes. A 5-6 point guard from Orlando, Fla., Turner played every second of the opening quarter. With six points and two steals in the first quarter, Turner helped Georgia run out to a 28-10 lead.
Several years ago, when Turner was an eighth-grader, she played against Georgia coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson's daughter, Savannah, who is now a UGA redshirt sophomore. Turner made quite an impression on Coach ABE, who was still coaching at UCF at the time.
"She was an eighth-grader and killed us," Coach ABE said back in September.
Now, Turner is playing for the Lady Bulldogs and directing the offense.
"Having a freshman start at the point, she's really special," Coach ABE said.
One element of Turner's game that will take some time, Coach ABE said, is her passing and assists. That's because her teammates have to learn to be ready for the ball at all times.
"She would have had way more assists if we could get people to catch (the passes)," Coach ABE said. "What Trinity does is she goes in there and she won't stare at you and say 'I'm passing to you.' She's going to look over here and pass there. We've got to get used to playing with her and getting your hands ready.
"She's pretty special and I'm excited to see her growth this whole year."
A year ago, it was Avinger and Flournoy, a pair of 5-7 transfers, making their Georgia debuts. In a 71-59 win over North Carolina A&T, Avinger scored 11 of the Lady Bulldogs' first 17 points, finishing with 15, while Flournoy scored seven in a row during a key stretch in the tight game and also finished with 15. On Monday, they both had eight points and three rebounds and Avinger also had five of Georgia's 13 steals.
Avinger and another freshman guard, Summer Davis (whose twin sister Indya also played well Monday), capped off the first half in fitting fashion. In the closing seconds, Davis got a steal and fired the ball ahead toward to a sprinting Avinger who barely had a chance to corral the ball before flicking it in off the glass as time expired, putting Georgia up 54-22.
Summer Davis finished with 11 points, five rebounds and four assists, hitting three 3-pointers, while sister Indya had seven points, four rebounds and two assists. Miyah Verse, who redshirted last season, added nine points, 10 rebounds and two steals.
"The one thing that they all do is play hard, almost to the point where I'm like, calm down," Coach ABE said of her team. "I really think that starts with Asia, because Asia plays extremely hard, so if you have a leader like that, and Roxy plays extremely hard, and they're upperclassmen, so the freshmen don't think they can take a play off or a run off or anything.
"They've got some upperclassmen that will push them every day."
The Lady Bulldogs are back at the Steg on Friday against Houston.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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