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Olivia Sayer
Georgia teammates celebrate during a women’s NCAA college basketball game between Georgia Southern and Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia, on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. Georgia won 85-59. (Photo/Jessica Lin, @j.lin321)
Georgia women’s basketball’s clean sweep of Columbia and Purdue earned it the 2023 Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship Nov. 20-22 in the Bahamas.
The non-bracketed event provides teams the opportunity to compete against other opponents throughout the nation. This year’s contest included the likes of Ohio State (2-1), Florida (3-1) and East Carolina (2-1), among others. Nine of the 10 participants competed in postseason play last season, including six in the NCAA Tournament.
Georgia opened up the tournament with a 73-56 win over Columbia on Monday morning. The Bulldogs then beat Purdue 65-57 on Wednesday afternoon.
Strong fourth quarter pushes the Bulldogs past the Lions
From tipoff, it was evident it was going to be a good night for the Georgia offense. The Bulldogs struck quickly, with senior Zoesha Smith capitalizing off a Columbia turnover. By the time the buzzer sounded for halftime, Georgia had a 60% shooting percentage from the field and a 37-29 lead.
Undeterred by Georgia’s hot offensive start, Columbia matched with 11 3-pointers in the first half. Guard Riley Weiss hit a pair to end each quarter and cut the Lions’ halftime deficit to eight.
Despite going five minutes without making a basket in the third quarter, Columbia kept the game within reach. With about one minute remaining in the quarter, Lions senior Paige Lauder sunk a free throw to give Columbia its first lead of the game.
Georgia responded well, erupting with a 14-0 run, while outpacing Columbia 27-9 in the final frame and defeating the reigning Ivy League Champion 73-56.
The Bulldogs finished the game shooting a season-high 52% from the field, while out rebounding the Lions 44-24. Smith led Georgia in scoring with 18 points, while fifth-years Javyn Nicholson and Chloe Chapman ended with 17 and 15, respectively. Smith was 8-for-11 on shooting, while Chapman went 3-of-3 from deep. Nicholson added seven rebounds to her total.
Bulldog bench makes the difference in victory over Purdue
Georgia ended its trip to the Bahamas with a matchup against the Boilermakers. Despite Purdue falling in its opening game against Florida, it gave the Bulldogs a good fight.
Neither team scored in the first minute and a half of play, with turnovers plaguing Purdue. However, Georgia was unable to capitalize early the way it had previously, until Smith got a rebound and drilled a jumper to get the first points on the board.
The two teams battled, with Georgia leading by as many as six in the first half. A couple of fouls proved virulent for the Bulldogs, as Nicholson and fifth-year Jordan Cole were forced to the bench with two fouls each. In the second quarter, Georgia shot just a mere 4-17 from the field. The Boilermakers took advantage, and the score was tied at 28 going into the break.
Purdue opened the second half on an 8-3 scoring run, led by guard Abbey Ellis’s five-straight points to take the lead 36-31. From there, Georgia took control, outscoring the Boilermakers 19-13 in the final 10 minutes of play and earning the 65-57 victory.
The Bulldog bench proved vital in this matchup, outscoring Purdue 36-10. The group is averaging 32 points per game, which is good for second in the SEC. Head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson spoke on the team’s depth earlier in the season.
“That’s why I say we have strength in numbers, and it doesn’t always have to be the same person,” Abrahamson-Henderson said.
Georgia also cashed in on turnovers, notching 20 points off of 17 Purdue miscues. For comparison, Purdue recorded 8 on 15 turnovers. Nicholson finished with 18 points, while fifth-year Taniyah Thompson scored a Georgia career best 16 points. The Bulldogs out rebounded Purdue 43-31, led by Nicholson’s nine.
The win improved Georgia to 5-1 and extended its winning streak to four games. The Bulldogs next host Duke Thursday, as the ACC/SEC challenge gets underway. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m.