Four players scored in double figures, led by 22 points from junior center Jenna Staiti, but it was not enough as the Georgia Lady Bulldog basketball team fell to No. 15-ranked Kentucky, 88-77, Thursday at Memorial Coliseum.
Staiti scored in double figures for the sixth-straight game and for the seventh time in the last eight matchups. The Cumming, Ga., native also hauled in eight boards in the loss.
Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard scored 25 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, to pace her team.
The Wildcats hit 20-of-21 from the free-throw line, compared to just a 12-of-20 effort from the Lady Bulldogs. Kentucky also made 12 3-pointers in the win.
“What’s frustrating is that if we score 77 points in a game, you expect to win,” head coach Joni Taylor said. “In the first and second quarters, we turned Kentucky loose and gave up way too many easy looks. Rhyne Howard is one of the best players in the nation and credit her for playing a great game tonight.”
In a fast-paced opening stanza, Gabby Connally led off with a 3-pointer from the left corner. Kentucky’s Howard and KeKe McKinney each added one of their own to give the Wildcats an early 10-9 lead.
Kentucky hit a barrage of 3-pointers with five in the first 10 minutes, forcing Georgia to call a timeout. Staiti then ended the quarter with seven-straight points to keep the Lady Bulldogs close, down 22-20 at the end of one.
The Wildcats finished the opening half with 10 made 3-point baskets, but the combination of Staiti and Connally kept Georgia in the game and held the damage to a minimum. Staiti finished the first 20 minutes with 15 points, while Connally added nine. Still, Kentucky led 53-46 at intermission.
The offensive explosion quieted down in the second half as neither team could reach the 20-point mark in the third quarter. Howard, Kentucky’s leading scorer and All-American, was on the bench for most of the third frame after she picked up her third foul.
Georgia stayed within striking distance, with Kentucky leading 67-60 going into the fourth quarter.
Howard came off the bench and scored 13 of her team’s 21 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Wildcats to the win.
The Lady Bulldogs return home to host Florida on Senior Day at 1:10 p.m. ET this Sunday.