WBB Game Notes: Georgia Faces #23 Tennessee in Knoxville

Thursday, January 14

Knoxville, Tenn.

6:30 PM

University of Georgia

Tennessee

WBB Game Notes: Georgia Faces #23 Tennessee in Knoxville

January 13, 2021 | Women's Basketball

RV/RV Georgia Lady Bulldogs (10-1, 2-1 SEC) vs. #23/24 Tennessee Lady Vols (8-1, 2-0 SEC)
Thursday, Jan. 14 | 6:32 p.m. ET
Thompson-Boling Arena | Knoxville, Tenn.
Radio: Bulldog Sports Network (Jeff Dantzler) 960 AM The REF, WXKT 103.7 FM in Athens
TV: SEC Network (Courtney Lyle (play-by-play)/Carolyn Peck (analyst)
Video Stream: SEC Network +
Audio Stream: georgiadogs.com

JONI TAYLOR - HEAD COACH

SIXTH SEASON // RECORD: 108-59 (.646)

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2018 Werner Ladder Naismith National Coach of the Year Semifinalist
Two-time Atlanta Tip-Off Club Georgia College Coach of the Year
2016 Spalding Maggie Dixon National Rookie Coach of the Year
Three WNBA Draft picks
Led Georgia to a 26-7 record in 2017-18, marking the team's most wins in a single season since 2006-07
Georgia hosted the NCAA first and second rounds in Athens for first time since 2003 during the 2017-18 campaign
Five All-SEC honorees and two SEC Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Created the award-winning Beyond Basketball group

No.	Name	PPG	RPG
Georgia Lady Bulldogs Most Recent Starters
2	Gabby Connally	10.1	2.2
G; 5-6; Sr.; San Antonio, Texas
23	Que Morrison	9.5	4.8
G; 5-7; Sr.; Riverdale, Ga.
11	Maya Caldwell	8.9	2.9
G; 5-11; Sr.; Charlotte, N.C.
20	Jordan Isaacs	4.5	3.0
F; 6-0; So.; Alpharetta, Ga.
14	Jenna Staiti	15.2	8.0
C; 6-4; R-Sr.; Cumming, Ga.

Opening Tip Storylines

Georgia hits the road to take on the Tennessee Lady Vols this Thursday at 6:32 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will air nationally on the SEC Network.
The Lady Bulldogs are ranked No. 15 in the weekly NET rankings and are receiving votes in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls.
Georgia has won 15 of its last 19 games dating back to last year, with the only losses coming to top-15 teams South Carolina, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Mississippi State.
Georgia is a perfect 4-0 on the road this season and is looking for its first win in Knoxville since 1996 -- a span of 15 games.
Thursday's matchup features the two winningest programs in Southeastern Conference women's basketball history. Georgia (1,007-443) and Tennessee (1,392-344) are the only two SEC teams to boast over 1,000 wins as the two have combined for 71 NCAA Tournament appearances.
Senior Jenna Staiti leads the SEC and is third nationally with 33 total blocks (3.0 per game). Staiti has scored in double figures in 19 of the last 20 games and has posted five double-doubles this season.
Georgia is second in the SEC in scoring defense, holding teams to just 55.8 points per game. The Lady Bulldogs have held six of 11 opponents at 30 percent or lower shooting from the field.
The Lady Bulldogs are averaging 77.5 points per contest, up from 65 points per game last season. Georgia has scored 80 or more points four times in 11 games, compared to just twice in 31 matchups last year.
Georgia's roster features four senior starters -- Gabby Connally, Maya Caldwell, Que Morrison and Jenna Staiti -- who have each earned their degrees and are pursuing master's degrees at UGA.
The Lady Bulldogs use a deep rotation, often playing 11 and sometimes 13 players per game.
Georgia began this season 8-0, marking its best start in seven seasons.

Scouting Florida

Tennessee is off to an 8-1 start under second-year head coach Kellie Harper. The Lady Vols are ranked No. 23 nationally and are coming off a 64-63 win at LSU. Last week, Tennessee defeated then-No. 13 Arkansas 88-73 in Knoxville.

Senior guard/forward Rennia Davis is averaging a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds per game in SEC play. Rae Burrell leads the Lady Vols with 17.8 ppg.

Tennessee's roster features 11 players who stand at 6-feet or taller.

Series Breakdown

Overall: Tennessee leads, 51-17
In Athens: Tennessee leads, 14-10
In Knoxville: Tennessee leads, 23-4
Neutral Sites: Tennessee leads, 14-3
Current Streak: Teams have split the last four meetings, 2-2
Last Meeting: Tennessee won 73-56 (1/12/20) in Knoxville
Largest Margin of Victory:Georgia won, 78-51 (1/17/00)
Largest Defeat: Tennessee won, 102-43 (1/28/98)
Full Series History

Unselfish Dawgs

Georgia leads the SEC and is eighth nationally with 197 total assists. The Lady Bulldogs average 17.9 assists per game. Against Appalachian State earlier this year, Georgia totaled 32 dimes on 46 made field goals.

A Bulldog Block Party

The Lady Bulldogs lead all SEC teams and are second nationally with 70 total blocks. Georgia is averaging 6.4 swats per game, which is the ninth-best average in the country and second in the SEC.

Hanging a Hundred

Georgia scored 107 points against Appalachian State on Dec. 22. That total marked the most points by a Georgia team since the 2000-01 campaign and was the first time the Lady Bulldogs have reached the 100-point mark since 2007.

Offensive Improvement

The Lady Bulldogs are a much improved team on the offensive end compared to last season. Georgia is averaging 77.5 points per game in 2020 after scoring just 63.2 points per game last year. The team has scored over 80 points four times through the first 11 games. Last season, the Lady Bulldogs scored 80 or more points twice in 31 contests.

Barker Named SEC Freshman of the Week

Sarah Ashlee Barker was named the league's Freshman of the Week following performances against East Carolina and Oklahoma earlier this year. Barker continues to play valuable minutes and has made several key plays for the Lady Bulldogs this season.

With 2:19 left in the overtime period against Georgia Tech, Barker broke open a tie game with a made jump shot to put her team up 65-63. The Lady Bulldogs did not give up the lead the rest of the way en route to a 75-69 win. Barker then hit a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter against Oklahoma, giving Georgia its largest lead of the game at 14.

Barker recorded her first career double-double with 10 pts. and 12 rebs. against Georgia State.

Taylor, Connally Reach Important Marks Against Tech

Georgia defeated Georgia Tech this year to improve the Lady Bulldogs' record to 36-7 against the Yellow Jackets. The win also marked the 100th of Coach Taylor's career. Senior guard Gabby Connally reached the 1,000-point mark with a first-half basket against Tech.

Georgia Reaches 1,000-Win Milestone

With its win against East Carolina on Dec. 3, Georgia became one of just two SEC programs (Tennessee) and one of 16 nationwide to reach the 1,000-win mark. The team commemorated the milestone with a special social media video narrated by Andy Landers and Joni Taylor.

Staiti Among Georgia's All-time Best Shot blockers

With 151 blocks , Jenna Staiti stands in ninth place on Georgia's all-time blocked shots chart. Tawana McDonald owns the UGA career record with 297 in her career.

Staiti Steady at the Stripe

Jenna Staiti filled up the stat sheet with double-figure scoring efforts and double-doubles in her last nine games of the 2019-20 season. What might have gone unnoticed was Staiti's performance at the free-throw line. Staiti finished the year hitting 89 percent from the stripe -- good for the second-best single season average in Georgia history.

Connally Lands in Top-10

Georgia senior Gabby Connally has moved into ninth place on UGA's career 3-pt field goals made chart. Connally has totaled 153 during her time at Georgia.

Focus On Community

Georgia's Joni Taylor has put a focus on community service during her six seasons as head coach. This past fall, Taylor and her team took action once again by hosting a Water Bottle Drive for the local Boys and Girls Club of Athens. The community stepped up in a big way, donating close to 150 water bottles.

"We were absolutely blown away by the turnout," Taylor said. "COVID-19 has affected all of our lives in so many ways. For the Boys and Girls Club, COVID protocols eliminated the use of water fountains, so the organization needed new, re-fillable water bottles. When our ladies found out about this, they immediately wanted to help. I could not be more proud of their efforts and the efforts of all those who came by today. It's another step forward in making a meaningful impact in our community."

Chapman Best in the State

Two-sport star Chloe Chapman was named the Atlanta Sports Awards State of Georgia College Athlete of the Year this past summer. Chapman, who also plays soccer at UGA, is just the 11th Bulldog student-athlete to earn the honor. She received over 50,000 votes during the seven-day voting period back in July.

Chapman placed on the 2019 SEC All-Freshman Team in soccer before earning a spot in the lineup on the basketball floor.

Two-Sport Star in Rare Company

Chapman is one of only six Lady Bulldogs to play two sports while at UGA. Below is a list of these elite athletes.

All-Time Lady Bulldog Two-Sport Athletes
Tina Price -- 1975-78 -- Women's basketball/Tennis
Donna Noonan – 1975-77 – Women's basketball/Golf
Beth Timmons – 2000 – Women's basketball/Swimming
Maria Taylor – 2007 -- Women's basketball/Volleyball
Stephanie Paul – 2019-20 – Women's basketball/Track (discus)
Chloe Chapman – present – Women's basketball/Soccer

Georgia Seniors Earn Degrees

Each of Georgia's four seniors -- Gabby Connally, Maya Caldwell, Que Morrison and Jenna Staiti -- will wear the SEC graduate patch this season after earning their degrees. The four Lady Bulldogs are all pursuing master's degrees, with Connally focusing on public administration, Cadwell in non-profit management and leadership, and Morrison and Staiti in sport pedagogy.

Georgia Led League in Honor Roll Selections

The Georgia Lady Bulldogs led all Southeastern Conference basketball teams (women or men) with nine players on the league's Academic Honor Roll this past winter.

Each winter, student-athletes from across the conference are recognized for having a 3.0 GPA or above for either the preceding academic year or a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

The following Lady Bulldogs reached the above criteria. Malury Bates (Human Development, Roanake, Va.), Maya Caldwell (Communication Studies, Charlotte, N.C.), Gabby Connally (Criminal Justice, San Antonio, Texas), Ari Henderson (Civil Engineering, Stone Mountain, Ga.), Caitlin Hose (Financial Planning, Hazel Green, Ala.), Kaila Hubbard (Psychology, Jonesboro, Ga.), Que Morrison (Communication Studies, Riverdale, Ga.), Stephanie Paul (Sport Management, Naples, Fla.) , Jenna Staiti (Human Development, Cumming, Ga.).

One of Peach State's Best Joins 2021 Signing Class

Jillian Hollingshead, a 6-foot-5 forward from Powder Springs, Ga., added to an already impressive 2021 signing class for the Lady Bulldogs. She was the fourth signee of Georgia's class, joining fellow top-40 prospect Reigan Richardson (Huntersville, N.C.) as well as Alina Sendar (Amsterdam, Netherlands) and Kimora 'Kimmie' Jenkins (Long Island, N.Y.).

Hollingshead was ranked as the No. 5 forward in the nation according to espnW and was also ranked No. 22 in the ESPN HoopGurlz Terrific 25 for the 2021 class.