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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 handily defeated Georgia Southern Monday evening 85-59 at Stegeman Coliseum. It was the 23rd-straight time the Bulldogs have bested the Eagles.
In what could be characterized as a bounce-back win, Georgia rolled out a different starting lineup. Fifth-year Destiny Thomas and redshirt-freshman Stefanie Ingram made the first starts of their Bulldog careers.
“Just shaking it up after the last game,” head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson said. “And we have strength in numbers too, so I think everybody can start. But only five people can start, so [we are] just kind of trying to look at some different combinations.”
“Strength in numbers” was a key emphasis on the evening, as Georgia received contributions from an assortment of players. Fifth-year Javyn Nicholson led the offense with 14 points, while junior De’Mauri Flournoy, fifth-year Taniyah Thompson and redshirt freshman Fatima Diakhate each recorded double digits.
The Bulldogs also tallied 13 blocks during the game, which tied them for third-most in program history. Diakhate alone recorded four blocks and the most by a Bulldog since Nicholson did so against South Carolina last season.
The Bulldogs ended the first quarter up 17-10 before a layup from Diakhate and a steal from Nicholson gave Georgia a nine-point lead. The Eagles cut into the lead, but five points from Nicholson prompted a 9-0 scoring run and a 35-22 lead at the half for the Bulldogs.
Georgia caught fire in the third quarter, as a 16-1 run late helped the Bulldogs pull away. The wheels also began to fall off for Georgia Southern, as head coach Anita Howard was ejected with less than one minute remaining in the quarter. After pleading her case, Howard left the court to a standing ovation from those in attendance wearing blue and white.
“I want to apologize to my team,” Howard said. “I want to fight for what I believe to be right, but that’s not the behavior I want to show my team or my opponents, so to Eagle Nation, I do want to apologize for that.”
As the fourth quarter began, the Bulldogs did not show any signs of slowing down. By the time the clock hit zero, Georgia had rolled to a 85-59 victory, placing them at 2-1 on the season.
The Bulldogs’ dominant second half was the story of the game. Georgia put up 50 points in the second half of play, which was largely fueled by the high-percentage of shots made from the foul line. In the second half alone, Georgia had 26 free throw attempts, making almost 76% of them.
The Bulldogs had a free throw percentage of 74.3% on the evening, a statistic that has steadily increased through the first three games of their season.
“Coach ABE made us shoot a bunch of free throws during practice the last two days,” fifth-year Jordan Cole said, who finished with six points, four boards and four assists.
In addition to the increasing shooting percentages, Georgia has benefited greatly from its depth — something that Abrahamson-Henderson said will play a vital role when conference play begins.
“I’m trying to teach them that 80% of the game is all [hustle plays, great passes and setting good screens] and 20% is offense,” Abrahamson-Henderson said. “So, if we can continue to have this strength in numbers, it’s going to be really hard to guard us. When we get to the SEC, we’re going to have all kinds of different lineups and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Georgia will look to continue winning behind its “strength in numbers,” as it faces another in-state rival in Mercer (1-2) Thursday evening in Macon. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.