Georgia’s 13th women’s basketball team defeated the Missouri Tigers 72-62 on the road Monday night, improving to 14-3 on the season and 3-2 in team play.
As the Bulldogs advanced in all four seasons, 3-point shooting from Missouri Lauren Hansen and Hayley Frank combined with a 27-point double-double performance from national leader Aijha Blackwell kept the game within reach for the Tigers.
In the end, Georgia edged out Missouri and Gina Stetty earned a double 18th alumni position this season with 22 points and 12 plates.
Coach Johnny Taylor provided comments after his team won: “It was a team effort,” Taylor said, “I’m so proud of their toughness and fighting a really good team from Missouri on the road, in a tough environment.” ».
The Bulldog got off to a good start fueled by quick buckets from Sarah Ashley Parker. At the end of the first quarter, Georgia outscored 13 shooting at 64%.
Leading scorers Keogh Morrison and Stetti struggled to find the bottom of the basket for most of the first half.
Early in the second quarter, the Tigers continued Blackwell’s electric coast-to-coast ride with another quick exit from the UGA spin to bring the home crowd to their feet in Columbia.
At the end of the first inning, the Tigers cut the bulldog’s lead to three.
Nearing the third, Georgia continued its dominance over Missouri in the paint and in the second by scoring offensive rebounding opportunities. As Morrison continued to struggle, Stetty found his rhythm, getting more touches around the rim and setting the height low with forward Jordan Isaacs.
In the fourth, Missouri once again pushed for another win at home with Frank winning three times in a row, including a beautiful step back. The Tiger Race cut the lead to one point early in the quarter.
Although ultimately it would be a defensive offense for Morrison, he joined forces with Staiti in the 7-0 round to increase the Bulldogs’ lead to eight and prevent a return effort.
With this victory, the Bulldogs improved to 4-1 in road games as they shifted their focus to the next road game in Starkville against Mississippi State on Thursday at 7:00 pm EST.
