By Samuel Lack
The No. 24 Georgia women’s basketball team enters its first game of the season against unranked Presbyterian with much to prove after losing some of its key players to graduation last year.
The Lady Bulldogs will host the Blue Hose on Sunday, looking to continue its tradition of hard play and success at home. Last year Georgia was 15-1 at Stegeman Coliseum, including a 66-38 blowout against Presbyterian in the second game of the season.
“It’s exciting,” junior guard Erika Ford said. “It’s an opportunity to go out there and showcase to everyone what they’re going to see the rest of the season and then see improvements from that first game.”
Georgia expects to start strong against Presbyterian and bring intensity on both offense and defense. Last year the Lady Bulldogs averaged 33 points in the first half, compared to 24.8 points by their opponents.
Despite strong numbers as a team last year, Georgia enters the game without its top two point scorers. Of those returning, sophomore Shacobia Barbee is the only player who started more than half of last year’s games.
“I’m still waiting for a total emerging of leadership,” head coach Andy Landers said. “We see pieces, a little here and a little there. It has to be consistent and it has to be every day for it to be meaningful.”
Senior Khaalidah Miller will be key to Georgia’s success against Presbyterian as she averaged 7.6 points per game last year. Also, the guard had the least turnovers for players who averaged more than 15 minutes per game. Miller’s ability to limit her mistakes and maintain a consistent approach will be vital.
“I have to keep reminding myself that I can’t afford to get down on certain plays if I don’t do what I intended to do,” Miller said. “I have to be strong for this team and help everyone move along so that we can have a successful year.”
Senior Karlee Taylor could cause Georgia the most trouble on the Presbyterian side of the ball. The Lady Bulldogs will need to contain Taylor on the perimeter, as she holds two Presbyterian records in the program’s Division I history: Most three-point field goals made in a career (185-for-439) and highest all-time free throw percentage (82.8).
Even though they are a guard-oriented team, the Lady Bulldogs should match up well against the Blue Hose. Presbyterian is a young team as well, with just two players starting more than 12 games in their career. Landers believes his team is well prepared for the game and expects his players to compete to the final buzzer.
“The staple has always been that you play hard and defend well,” Landers said. “I think what we’re going to see is a young team that has a lot of potential on the front line. You’ll see that develop throughout the season and it’s a work in progress.”
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