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Olivia Sayer
Georgia forward Javyn Nicholson (35) during a game against Alabama Sate University at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga., on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022. (Photo courtesy/Kayla Renie, UGAAA)
With the clock winding down, Stegeman Coliseum rose to its feet.
As the buzzer sounded, the message flashed on the scoreboard suspended over the center of the court — “Dawgs win.”
A few days ago, Georgia women’s basketball suffered its seventh-straight defeat, allowing a season-high 95 points to Tennessee. What little hope fans had left for the Bulldogs’ season was quickly dwindling.
Sometimes, all it takes is a little reset though.
The Bulldogs bested Kentucky 72-65 Sunday afternoon in Stegeman Coliseum. By no means was it perfect, but Georgia, led by fifth-year Javyn Nicholson, held firm when it mattered most.
“It was just refreshing,” Nicholson said of getting back in the win column.
Over the past few games, Nicholson had been held in check. Since her string of eight-straight double-doubles ended on Jan. 14 against Florida, the forward had yet to record over 14 points or seven rebounds.
For most, this statistical line would be considered a good night, but Nicholson holds high expectations for herself.
“With losing in general, it can kind of make you question a lot of things and overall just frustrate you,” Nicholson said. “And I feel like sometimes [when] we lose it is my fault, so it’s just a constant mirror.”
Head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson sensed this frustration with her star player and subsequently sat her down for a conversation.
“I just said, you got really six weeks left, just let it all out,” Abrahamson-Henderson said. “Just leave it on the floor. You don’t got to be frustrated anymore.”
If it wasn’t made clear by her performance against the Wildcats, the message refocused Nicholson and helped her play the style of basketball she knows best.
“It just kind of gave me a better tunnel vision,” Nicholson said. “[Abrahamson-Henderson] just was able to refocus me and get me locked in, and I just tried to come out today and do everything I can to make sure we win.”
Nicholson did just that and then some, finishing the game with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Playing all but eight minutes of the contest, Nicholson was solid around the rim. She shot 9-14 on field goals, and nailed all five of her free throw attempts.
“I knew we were going to give her the ball today,” Abrahamson-Henderson said. “I just think she came out really focused and with a lot of energy. We tried to get her the ball in different situations, like sometimes she can score from outside, and sometimes she can score on the block.”
Nicholson’s memorable afternoon did not end at the buzzer, as following the game, she was officially honored for reaching the highly regarded 1,000-career points club. She is just the 43rd Bulldog in program history to reach the feat.
Georgia’s win against Kentucky revitalized the Bulldogs, who are approaching a tough stretch of games. All of Georgia’s remaining opponents are over .500, while only one has more than five losses.
“I think [the win] is definitely what we needed coming into the stretch of games that we have coming up,” Nicholson said. “So yeah, we just got to keep the ball rolling, really.”