KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Georgia Lady Bulldog basketball team overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat the Tennessee Lady Vols, 67-66, Thursday evening at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The win gives Georgia its first victory in Knoxville since 1996 — a string of 15-straight games. It also improves Georgia’s record to 11-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC this season.
Georgia was down 40-25 at the half but came out of the locker room with a new lineup that proved to turn the tide against the Lady Vols. Georgia outscored Tennessee 29-9 in the third period, before holding off the home team in the fourth.
Senior guard Que Morrison was the catalyst that turned things around for Georgia. She knocked in a trio of 3-pointers in the second half and finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and four steals.
“First of all, Tennessee is an outstanding team and we knew it was going to be tough to come in here and win,” head coach Joni Taylor said. “In the second half, we went with who we thought was going to give us the most energy. When we play as many players as we play, it sometimes takes time to figure out. I think tonight was big for our team because it shows them we can play with the best. It also showed us why it is so important to get off to a good start and the importance of coming out strong from the tip.”
Georgia looked sluggish out of the gate as Tennessee took an early 13-7 lead. The Lady Vols built the early advantage thanks to hitting six of their first nine shots from the field.
The Lady Bulldogs got within two points at 15-13, but Tennessee bounced back, capped off by a 3-pointer at the buzzer from Jordan Horston to take a 25-17 lead at the end of the first quarter. Georgia hit just one for its last seven from the field and committed five turnovers in the last six minutes to trail 40-25 at the break.
Georgia heated up in the third quarter, knocking in four straight shots — including back-to-back 3-pointers from Morrison — to climb within six points at 47-41 with 4:35 remaining in the frame.
The Lady Bulldogs ended the third quarter on a 19-2 run led by hot shooting from Gabby Connally and Morrison to take a 54-49 lead going into the fourth. In the final period, Georgia held off several Tennessee rallies to hold on to the 67-66 win.
Next up, the Lady Bulldogs host Ole Miss Sunday at Stegeman Coliseum.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2021/1/971405/lady-bulldogs-rally-to-beat-tennessee-first-win-since-96-in-knoxville