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Athens, GA -- There wasn't much to root for, at first. The Missouri Tigers, fresh off a loss to the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, had something to prove. They weren't the offensive powerhouse they have been, but they were on defense; they held the Lady Bulldogs to a meager five points. They were up eleven after one-quarter, and up ten after two. The Lady Bulldogs couldn't hit the broadside of a barn.
"We gotta come out ready to go. You know, the last two games, opposite things have happened. We had a really good first quarter against Texas A&M and the flip of that tonight," said first-year coach Joni Taylor. "We gave Missouri exactly what they wanted.
"They got open threes; we weren't matched up, and we can't do that against really good teams."
But then halftime came, and went, and the Lady Bulldogs, after thirty minutes of action, found themselves up by two, 40-38. Shots that clanked off the rim or fluttered, wounded, to the rim, started dropping in, and free throws fell like rain. When the dust settled, the University of Georgia had outscored Missouri 19-7.
However, that wasn't the end of things. Missouri regained their sea legs and took it right back to the Lady Bulldogs in the fourth. When a minute and thirty seconds left in the game, they held a three-point lead, 48-45.
UGA was still shooting below 30%, and Missouri at sub 40%. UGA held a large advantage in free throws, making six more on eight more attempts. It was like the Tennessee game for the Tigers all over again, save for the excellent defense.
It came down to the final seconds, with Missouri holding a two-point lead, 50-48, with twenty ticks left on the clock. After two non-shooting fouls, Georgia would have the ball with six seconds left, only to throw it away. The Tigers had possession with three ticks left, and they wouldn't relinquish it, finishing the game with a six-point advantage, 54-48.
The Tigers come back from the crushing loss to Tennessee, moving to 14-1 on the season. UGA, meanwhile, falls for the second time in a row. The Missouri Tigers move on to face #2, South Carolina, while the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs take on the #10 University of Kentucky Wildcats.
Note: Missouri's Jordan Frericks led her team with 11 points, while tallying 6 rebounds.