Georgia in Tampa for Sun Coast Challenge

Wednesday, December 20

Tampa, Fla.

Noon

University of Georgia

Pittsburgh

December 19, 2023 | Women's Basketball

Game Notes

Georgia Lady Bulldogs Game Notes

Georgia (7-3) vs. Pittsburgh (5-5)
Wednesday, December 20th || Noon ET
Pasco-Hernando State College West Campus || Tampa, Fla.
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network (Jeff Dantzler) WXKT 103.7 FM or 960 AM The REF and the Georgia Bulldog App | Affiliates
TV: BallerTV
Video Stream: SEC Network+
Audio Stream: georgiadogs.com
Social: @UGA_WBB
History: Georgia leads, 1-0 (Full History)
Last Meeting: - Georgia won, 100-69 (3/26/81)

TEAM COMPARISON

GEORGIA LADY BULLDOGS
Head Coach: Coach ABE
Career Record: 401-172 (19th year)
Record at Georgia: 29-15 (2nd year)

PITTSBURGH PANTHERS
Head Coach: Tory Verdi
Career Record: 208-159 (13th year)
Record at Pittsburgh: 5-5 (1st year)

GEORGIA	2023-24 STATISTICS	PITTSBURGH
71.0	POINTS PER GAME	71.8
41.9	FG%	43.3
29.6	3FG%	31.7
63.7	FT%	68.8
43.70	REBOUNDS PER GAME	42.20
14.9	ASSISTS PER GAME	16.3
4.1	BLOCKS PER GAME	3.8
9.7	STEALS PER GAME	6.2
62.5	SCORING DEFENSE	66.0
35.1	FG% DEFENSE	40.2
29.9	3FG% DEFENSE	36.5
+4.3	REBOUND MARGIN	+10.5
0.99	AST - TO RATIO	1.05

Opening Tip

» Georgia will face Pittsburgh in the first of two games at the Sun Coast Challenge in Tampa. Fla. on Wednesday at noon.

» The Lady Bulldogs play Ball State on Thursday at noon. Both games will played on the campus of Pasco-Hernando State College West Campus.

» Pittsburgh is coming off a 94-82 win over Lehigh on Dec. 10. The Panthers will face Ball State on Tuesday before meeting the Lady Bulldogs.

» This is the second all-time meeting between Georgia and Pittsburgh. The two teams last met in the 1981 National Women's Invitational Tournament in Amarillo, Texas. The Lady Bulldogs defeated the Panthers 100-69 en route to winning the NWIT.

» Georgia's bench is averaging 28.2 points per game, good for second in the SEC.

» The Lady Bulldogs rank fifth in the SEC in rebounds per game at 43.7 per contest.

» Fifth-year forward Javyn Nicholson has scored in double figures in every game this season and averages nearly a double-double of 15.4 points and nine rebounds per game.

» Georgia is in its second season under the leadership of Coach ABE. ABE's successful first year included a NCAA tournament appearance, 22 wins, and a fifth-place finish in the final SEC standings.

» The Lady Bulldogs were the only SEC squad to not have a single player enter the transfer portal this past offseason.

» Coach ABE's teams have won 20 or more games in 11-straight seasons, while her 12 NCAA tournament appearances rank third among active SEC coaches, only behind Kim Mulkey (LSU) and Dawn Staley (South Carolina).

» Georgia is in search of its 37th NCAA tournament appearance this season. The Lady Bulldogs' 36 trips are tied for the second most among all programs.

» Georgia is one of three programs nationwide, joining Wisconsin Green Bay and Tennessee, to never have a losing record in a season.

Four Top-100 the Most Since 2017

Georgia has already signed four top-100 players in the 2024 class. Indya and Summer Davis — twin sisters from Farmington Hills, Michigan — along with Mia Woolfolk (Midlothian, Virginia) and Trinity Turner (Orlando, Fla.) signed with the Lady Bulldogs earlier this week. All four players are four star prospects and ranked in the top-100 nationally, marking the first time since 2017 the program has signed four top-100 players.

Chloe's Career Day

Georgia guard Chloe Chapman played the best game of her career in the team's win against Columbia. She scored a career-best 15 points and knocked in a career-high three 3-pointers in the win. Prior to the Columbia game, Chapman had not hit more than one 3-pointer in a game in her career. She also hit a pair of 3's against Furman and finished with 10 points and 10 boards against the Paladins.

Zo's Production Increases

Zoesha Smith has seen increased production this season. She has scored in double figures in six games after totaling just seven double-figure scoring contests in her previous three seasons combined. Smith has earned her way back into the starting five over the last six games, setting a new career high with 37 minutes played.

Familiar Face, New Name

Jordan Cole returned for her fifth year in the red and black. Formerly Jordan Isaacs, she changed her legal last name to Cole after her stepfather, Brian Cole, adopted her on Oct. 4, 2023.

"I've created an identity behind the last name Isaacs, who I am on the court and off the court and just me as a person. It's very safe and familiar," said Jordan, who started 25 games last season. "I hate to see it go, because it is a part of me, who I became and who I'm going to become, but I definitely think this is the next big step in my life. It's going to open new doors for me, it's going to help me put myself out there. Me and the coaching staff ... we made a joke that this is just a new version of me, like a new player, new person. There's nothing wrong with Jordan Isaacs, but there's always room for growth."

Talented Transfers Boost Roster

Georgia welcomed a trio of transfers to this year's roster in Asia Avinger (San Diego State), Taniyah Thompson (Penn State) and Destiny Thomas (UCF). Avinger was an All-Mountain West Team selection as one of just three players nationwide to average over 11 points, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting at least 45 percent from the field. Thompson was a first-team All-American Athletic Conference performer at East Carolina, before transferring to Penn State. She finished second in The American in scoring with 18.5 ppg during the 2021-22 season. Thomas averaged a double-double and led UCF in both scoring and rebounding last year. She averaged an impressive 11 boards per contest, including a school-record 24-rebound effort, to lead the Knights.

Thomas Sets Rebounding Marks

Destiny Thomas led the Knights in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals a season ago. She brought down double-digit rebounds in 18 games and 15 or more boards seven times. Thomas tied the UCF record with 24 rebounds in a game against Seton Hall, as she finished second nationally with 5.0 offensive rebounds per contest. In 36 career starts, Thomas has recorded double-digit rebound totals 13 times – a near 40 percent average.

Avinger Does It All

Asia Avinger, who transferred from San Diego State, was one of just three players nationally to average 11.0 points, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting at least 45 percent from the field. Avinger went to SDSU as the No. 16-ranked point guard in the class of 2020, earning her the honor of Preseason Mountain West Freshman of the Year. She led all conference freshmen in both scoring and assists with 12.9 points and 3.0 dimes per game, earning her a spot on the All-Freshman Team, before she put together an impressive sophomore campaign.

First Verse

Georgia welcomes one true freshman this year in Arizona product Miyah Verse. A member of ESPN's Super 60 as one of the top 60 prospects nationally, Verse prepped at national powerhouse Arizona Elite Prep and Mountain Ridge High in Peoria, Ariz.

Verse was also a track star in high school, earning the state title in the discus throw. Her brother Jared is a defensive lineman on the Florida State football team.

Stealing the Show

Georgia led the SEC in steals last season with 10.5 per game. It marked the 10th time in the last 13 years that Coach ABE's teams have led their respective conference in steals. It was also the first occasion since the 2005-06 season – a span of 17 years – that Georgia led the SEC in steals.

Before taking the head coaching job at Georgia, Coach ABE's UCF squad led the nation in scoring defense for two straight years from 2020-22.

Not Just Defense, Georgia Can Score

While the defense garners a good bit of attention at Georgia, the Lady Bulldogs also saw success offensively last season. In the game at Vanderbilt, Georgia shot 67 percent from the field – the program's best offensive output since 1998 and the second-best shooting percentage against an SEC team in school history. The Lady Bulldogs scored 80 or more points in five games last year – the second most for Georgia over the last five years.

A Tradition of Success

Georgia entered the 2023-24 season one of just three programs nationwide, joining Tennessee and Wisconsin-Green Bay, to have a winning season every year since 1981. The Lady Bulldogs have made appearances in 36 of 41 NCAA tournaments (second-most all time) with 20 Sweet 16s and 11 Elite Eights.

Create What You Can't Have

Georgia guard Chloe Chapman is the founder and CEO of Create What You Can't Have (CWUCH) -- a successful fashion merchandising company.

"CWUCH was created to represent originality. This is for people who aspire to be unique and have their own style. High quality clothing for streetwear lovers." -- Chloe Chapman

All in the Family

Miyah Verse's brother, Jared Verse, is a junior defensive lineman on the Florida State football team. The highly recruited prospect was a first-team All-American selection by The Athletic during the 2022 football season. Verse leads FSU with 4.5 sacks this year.