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Olivia Sayer
Georgia forward Zoesha Smith (0) dribbles the ball 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 fell to Alabama 81-63 Thursday evening in Stegeman Coliseum.
What started as a single 3-point shot, turned into an array of them. Those attending watched in awe and despair as the Crimson Tide moved across the court, draining shots from well beyond the arc. Alabama was not facing a mediocre defense either, quite the opposite actually.
The Bulldogs came into the game ranked 12th nationally in defensive field goal percentage, but it was not enough to overcome the shooting masterclass put on by the Crimson Tide. The Bulldogs also lost to Arkansas a game prior by a score of 83-43.
Despite the impressive offensive performance by its opponent, Georgia went basket-for-basket with Alabama for most of the first half. The Bulldogs began the evening with a 4-0 run, putting the third-highest-scoring SEC team in an early hole.
Alabama claimed its first lead when senior Aaliyah Nye drained a shot from the 3-point line to begin a long night of Crimson Tide threes.
“Calm and collected,” SEC Network Analyst Anne Marie Armstrong said. “She had time to catch and shoot. Georgia’s got to know where Nye is.”
Overall, the Bulldogs did a decent job at defending Nye inside the paint, as all five of her makes came from outside of it.
Alabama’s Sarah Ashlee Barker was another story, however, as the Crimson Tide’s leading scorer returned to her old stomping grounds in dominant fashion. Barker, who was a Bulldog during the 2020-2021 seasons, ended the game with 22 points.
With about five minutes remaining in the first quarter, fifth-year Destiny Thomas put up an offensive rebound to tie the game at 10. The two teams went back and forth, and Georgia’s seven uncontested baskets gave it a 20-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Bulldogs began the second period by, once again, capitalizing off an offensive rebound. Following a missed jumper by her teammate, fifth-year Javyn Nicholson grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to Fatima Diakhate, a redshirt freshman who nailed the layup.
Then, came the play that brought Stegeman Coliseum to its feet.
With around 7:35 remaining in the second quarter, Barker jumped back and attempted a fadeaway pass to her teammate. Bulldog guard Asia Avinger was in perfect position, and quickly deflected the attempt before throwing an over-the-shoulder pass to fifth-year Chloe Chapman. Everyone watched the ball hang on the rim of the basket before dropping straight through for a 24-20 Georgia lead.
From there, Alabama started to find success, especially from downtown. The Crimson Tide moved around the court sinking 3-pointers from all over the perimeter. The Bulldogs used a strong offensive and defensive rebounding game to stay on pace, taking advantage of several missed shots. Both teams went blow-for-blow until the buzzer sounded and Alabama had a 36-35 lead headed into halftime.
“Honestly, we do that every day in practice, so it’s starting to translate over to the game,” fifth-year Taniyah Thompson said of the team’s rebounding efforts.
The first points of the third were scored almost two minutes into the quarter when another 3-pointer extended Alabama’s lead to four. From there, the Crimson Tide continued to build upon its lead, taking advantage of several mistakes made by Georgia.
Down by five, with around three minutes left in the quarter, Thompson hit nothing but the net to earn her 17th point of the evening and bring Georgia within two of the lead. Head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson said the fifth-year guard has been consistently shooting in the gym daily.
Georgia fought hard, but Alabama continued to bolster its lead. With around 30 seconds remaining in the quarter, an offensive rebound by Diakhate allowed junior De’Mauri Flournoy to score and bring the Bulldogs within six, 57-51.
Given that the previous 10 matchups between the two teams had been decided by an average of 5.3 points per game, one could assume there was to be a surprising finish in store. However, the final period was all Crimson. The Bulldogs were left in the dust, getting outscored 24-3, while dropping the game 81-63.
Behind Thompson’s Georgia career and season high of 17 points, Avinger led Georgia with 10 points, while Nicholson earned just enough points and rebounds to achieve her eighth-straight double-double.
Senior forward Zoesha Smith left the contest in the first quarter after being unable to bear weight on her left leg. Abrahamson-Henderson after the game said there was no update, as she had yet to speak with either Smith or the trainers.
Georgia travels south on Sunday to face Florida. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m., as both teams look to rebound from a loss.