Dec. 31, 2011

UGA vs. Arkansas Game Notes

The Basics
Date: Sunday, January 1
Tipoff: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Athens, Ga.
Arena: Stegeman Coliseum (10,523)
Video: None
Radio:    
Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (AM 960 The Ref in Athens and 103.7 FM from Gainesville) Jeff Dantzler - play-by-play
Series:    
• UGA leads 25-14, including a 57-54 OT win last season on Feb. 3 in Athens
• UGA leads 11-2 in Athens
• UGA has won the last four and eight of the last nine matchups


Georgia hosts Hogs in SEC opener    
The Lady Bulldogs open the SEC portion of their 2011-12 schedule Sunday afternoon by hosting Arkansas.

Georgia, which is ranked No. 17 by the AP and No. 15 in the ESPN/USA Today poll, has enjoyed a solid non-conference run. The Lady Bulldogs are 11-2 to date, with both setbacks coming to ranked foes. Jasmine Hassell paces Georgia on the offensive end by averaging 14.1 points per game, while Khaalidah Miller (13.6), Jasmine James (11.6) and Anne Marie Armstrong (10.5) also sport double-digit scoring averages.

Arkansas also has been impressive during its pre-conference slate. After falling to Minnesota in their opener, the Razorbacks have reeled off 11 straight victories. Sarah Watkins and C'eira Ricketts lead Arkansas, averaging 11.2 and 10.3 points, respectively.


Series history with Arkansas
The Lady Bulldogs own a decisive 25-4 lead in their all-time series with Arkansas, including an 11-2 mark at Stegeman Coliseum.

A year ago, Georgia swept both ends of a home-and-home series by winning a pair of extremely exciting and competitive outings decided by a total of six points.

In Fayetteville on Jan. 13, the Lady Bulldogs raced to a 10-point halftime lead and withstood several rallies by the No. 20-ranked Razorbacks in the second stanza en route to a 59-56 victory.

Jasmine James scored 15 points and Meredith Mitchell posted a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds for Georgia to offset a game-high 26 points by Lyndsay Harris.

In the rematch in Athens on Feb. 3, Georgia bounced back from an 11-0 deficit to open the game to win 57-54 in overtime. With that contest tied 54-54 and 33 seconds left in OT, the Lady Bulldogs made 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to secure the "W."

James again paced the Lady Bulldogs offensively with 14 points, while Porsha Phillips grabbed 18 rebounds, the second-best single-game tally in SEC play in Georgia history. Harris scored a game-high 22 points for Arkansas.


Lineups much the same
Virtually all or the primary players from last year's meetings between the Lady Bulldogs and Razorbacks will again be in action this afternoon.

Georgia graduated just Porsha Phillips from last season's team. Phillips then became the 13th Lady Bulldog to be drafted into the WNBA in the last 11 years and went on to play for the San Antonio Silver Stars last summer.

Arkansas returns all five starters and six additional letterwinners from last year's team.


Quoting Coach Landers...
On opening SEC play...
"Every component of the competition elevates itself. The challenges are greater. Hard becomes harder. Difficult becomes more difficult. Every piece of the game has a premium to it. The rivalries within the league, the coaching, the familiarity with each other, the caliber of competition, the venues we play in...all of that screams `performance.'"

On Georgia's strong showing in SEC openers...
"I think our kids over the years understand the challenges associated with league play. Through the years, I also think we've played schedules that have developed our teams and led us to the level of play that we need to be at to be successful in our conference schedule."


Last Time Out...
Anne Marie Armstrong's 19 points led four double-digit Lady Bulldogs as No. 17 Georgia rolled past the Furman Paladins, 83-58, Wednesday night.

Erika Ford scored 14 points and pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds to record her first career double-double.

"Erika defensively is a whiz on and around the ball," Andy Landers said. "She is the smallest kid on the team and leads the team in rebounding (tonight). That shows you the size of her heart."

Jasmine Hassell and Meredith Mitchell rounded out the double-digit scoring efforts with 15 and 12 points, respectively, and each hauled down six rebounds as well.

Armstrong also notched seven rebounds, three blocks and four steals. The Lady Bulldogs blocked six shots, a team season high.

"A couple of times tonight, Anne Marie reminded me of Larry Bird," Landers said. "She has crazy size, point guard and forward skills and passes it well because of the way she sees the floor. She played super tonight."

Georgia shot 48.4 percent from the floor, including a 54.3 percent effort in the opening period. The Lady Bulldogs scored 27 points off Paladin turnovers.


James out of the lineup
For the second straight game the Lady Bulldogs were without junior Jasmine James against Furman.

James, who leads Georgia and ranks among SEC leaders in assists, steals and minutes played, has been sidelined with a knee sprain suffered during the Montana State game on Dec. 20.

Her status for the Arkansas game is still to be determined.


Georgia strong in SEC openers
Georgia has compiled a 24-5 record in SEC openers since the league began administering women's basketball during the 1982-83 season.

The Lady Bulldogs are an even more impressive 13-2 when beginning conference play here at Stegeman Coliseum.

Georgia has won 10 of its last 11 initial SEC outings, dropping only a 62-54 decision at Ole Miss on Jan. 8, 2009.

The Lady Bulldogs' have won their last seven league openers in Athens dating to an 80-74 upset by No. 23 LSU over No. 2 Georgia on Dec. 2, 2000.


Rare league opener versus Hogs
Today's game marks just the second time - and the first in two decades - the Lady Bulldogs have opened SEC play against the Razorbacks since they joined the conference in 1991.

Unranked Georgia upset No. 20 Arkansas, 79-62, in Fayetteville on Dec. 19, 1991. That contest represented the then-Lady Razorbacks' first-ever SEC contest.


Peach State products on display
Arkansas sophomore Keira Peak is a native of Clyattville, Ga., and played at Lowndes High School.

Facing Georgia natives is something the Lady Bulldogs will do regularly in SEC play. Ten conference teams - everyone but Kentucky and Ole Miss - feature a combined 20 players from the Peach State.

The Lady Bulldogs' roster sports five home state standouts.


Taking advantage of the charity
Georgia has improved dramatically at the free throw line of late.

Through the first six games of the season, the Lady Bulldogs were a relatively woeful 59-of-101 from the free throw line, just 58.4 percent.

In its last seven outings, Georgia has converted on 110-of-152 trips the charity stripe, a sterling 72.4 percent conversion rate.

UGA is now shooting a very respectable 66.8 percent for the year.


Georgia hitting its "magic number"
The Lady Bulldogs have furthered one of the greatest statistical indicators in any sport six times this season.

The Lady Bulldogs have scored 80 or more points on six occasions and in the process improved to 431-7 when scoring 80 or more during Andy Landers' 33 seasons at UGA.

That converts to an almost unfathomable 98.401826484018 winning percentage.

The six 80-plus outings is one more than the Lady Bulldogs produced in the past two seasons combined.

Georgia's 74.1 points per game over the initial dozen outings of 2011-12 is the Lady Bulldogs' most prolific offensive effort since the 2005-06 season. That year, UGA scored 80 or more points in eight of its first 12 games.


A balanced attack
Six different players led Georgia offensively in the first six games.

Jasmine Hassell has paced Georgia a team-best six times. Anne Marie Armstrong, Erika Ford, Jasmine James, Khaalidah Miller and Meredith Mitchell also have led Georgia offensively one or more times.

Seven Lady Bulldogs - add Krista Donald to the aforementioned ledger - have a combined 42 double-digit scoring performances of the year.


Hassell earns all-tourney honor
Jasmine Hassell was named to the all-tournament team at the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic. She led UGA offensively in both games, averaging 17.0 points by shooting 65.0 percent from the floor and 88.9 percent from the line.

Those outings are just a fraction of a very impressive stretch for the junior from Lebanon, Tenn. Hassell has been a double-digit scorer in each of the past nine games, averaging 15.8 points while shooting 61.4 percent from the field and 76.6 percent from the line during that span.


The book on boarding: Chapter 1
Freshmen Krista Donald and Erika Ford were active on the glass in Georgia's final two non-conference games.

Donald grabbed 13 rebounds against Appalachian State, the most by any Lady Bulldog this season.

Ford secured a career-best and game-high 10 rebounds versus Furman en route to a double-double.
Ford offered a simple description when asked about her rebounding prowess against the Paladins.

"I just try to go to where there isn't anyone else and hope that the ball comes to me," Ford quipped.

Andy Landers confirmed Ford's assessment of effective rebounding.

"I call it `going where they ain't'," Landers said. "It sounds simple but it's easier to rebound if you're not behind someone. Erika should give herself a little bit more credit, though. She tracks the ball pretty well. She and Donald both have a pretty good GPS when it comes to rebounding."


Jones sees action, gets hurt again
Ebony Jones saw her first action of the season at Mercer on Dec. 6, checking in with 2:16 left in the first half.

Jones missed Georgia's first eight games while recovering from a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury in her left knee. She scored her first points of the year on a nifty catch and layup in transition that supplied the Lady Bulldogs' final points of the night.

Jones then sprained her right ankle in Georgia's Dec. 16 practice before departing for the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic and did not dress there.

She was in uniform for the Appalachian State and Furman games but did not play. Her ankle has improved but swelling to her knee has returned over the past several days.


Mitchell Graduates
Meredith Mitchell's roster status went from "Sr." to "Gr." on Dec. 16 when she became the 59th - of 59 - four-year letterwinners to earn their degree from the University of Georgia during Andy Landers' 33 seasons in Athens.

Mitchell secured her bachelor's in Management from UGA's Terry College of Business.

"It's a relief to be done," Mitchell said. "It's hard to believe that my undergraduate career is over. It was a little stressful this week with practice and finals but it's really just time management.".

Not only have all 59 four-year letterwinners graduated, two (Tina Taylor and Jaleesa Rhoden) earned three additional degrees combined during extra years of eligibility due to injuries. Awarding "extra credit" for those extra diplomas earned while eligible bumps the graduation rate of Landers' four-year letterwinners to 105 percent.