ATHENS — Behind a balanced attack on both ends of the court, the 19th-ranked Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball team closed regular season play with a 63-43 victory against the Florida Gators at Stegeman Coliseum on Sunday.
With the win, the Lady Bulldogs, who were tabbed eighth in the SEC’s Preseason Poll, clinched the No. 3 seed and a double-bye in the SEC Tournament, and will begin play on Friday, March 2. This year’s turnaround to a 24-5 overall record is the program’s biggest since Hall of Fame Coach Andy Landers led the team to a 16-12 mark in his first year after the the team went just 6-19 the season before he took over.
“The credit goes to the ladies," Georgia head coach Joni Taylor said. "They’ve bought into what we were doing, and they’ve played hard for us. We love each other, and our staff is just incredible. I have to give them credit. I have great people around me, and they deserve credit.”
Georgia’s three seniors—guards Simone Costa and Haley Clark, and forward Mackenzie Engram—were recognized before the game as a part of Senior Day. Costa logged a season-high 23 minutes, and Engram, alongside freshman Gabby Connally, led the Lady Bulldog attack with 12 points.
Ten of Georgia’s 12 SEC wins have been by double digits, and today’s margin was fueled by eight different Lady Bulldog scorers – four of which also reached double digits: Engram (12), Connally (12), Robinson (11) and Cole (10). Today's win marks the 22nd game that eight or more Lady Bulldogs have contributed point production.
"I think everybody has embraced their role," Engram said. "When they are called up, they are ready. Last year we were dependent on two or three players, but this year it is everyone. You never know who is going to step up. That gives us a lot of weapons and makes things hard for other teams. We play together this year."
The offensive command was coupled with the top field-goal percentage defense in the conference, which held the Gators to a 28 percent clip from the field. Florida (11-18, 3-13) is the sixth-straight SEC opponent to shoot 40-percent or below from the field against Georgia.
Following a slow start, the Lady Bulldogs surged to a 13-2 run in the final 3:47 of the first quarter, charged by the play of junior forward Caliya Robinson. The Marietta native scored five points during the run, while her three assists led to six more. Two of those were to sophomore guard Taja Cole, who led the team with six points towards an 18-10 lead.
The Georgia bench took charge in the second quarter with 16 points to fuel the Lady Bulldogs to a 38-26 halftime lead. Freshman guard Maya Caldwell heated up for eight points to lead the team at the half, while Connally chipped in five.
After the break, Engram and Connally spurred the Lady Bulldogs in the third quarter. Engram poured in three baskets to move into double-digit scoring for the 21st time this season. Connally soon joined her in double digits by knocking down two critical 3-pointers, including a shot from behind the arc to close the quarter at 52-35. Robinson erupted defensively with three blocks.
In the fourth quarter, the Lady Bulldogs allowed the Gators only two field goals – one at the 3:49 mark and a 3-pointer at the buzzer, and Georgia tacked on 11 more points to seal the final 63-43.
Next up, Georgia advances to the 2018 Southeastern Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The first three rounds of the tournament will be broadcast on the SEC Network, with the semifinals and championship game being broadcast on ESPNU and ESPN2, respectively.
