Swimmers Set Record

SWIMMING

The women’s 800 freestyle relay set the American record to highlight Georgia’s efforts at the Southeastern Conference Championships on Wednesday at the O’Connell Center.

The Lady Dawgs’ quartet of Morgan Scroggy, Chelsea Nauta, Melanie Margalis and Allison Schmitt stopped the clock in 6:53.58. That eclipsed the American record, as well as the conference meet record, of 6:54.02 set by Auburn in 2009. The time also qualified the Lady Dawgs for next month’s NCAA Championships. Scroggy’s 200 freestyle leadoff split of 1:42.60 topped the SEC meet record of 1:43.17 set by Auburn’s Caitlin Geary in 2009.

“Love those American records,” Georgia head coach Jack Bauerle said. “That’s four special ladies. American records are not a dime a dozen, so we hold those close to our hearts. The big thing is they all swam well and they swam together, so that gives our team some juice. That is our best relay. We knew that coming in – and we knew they could go pretty fast.”

After one day of swimming and including the diving points accumulated last week, the Lady Dawgs stand fourth with 106 points. Auburn is first with 166, followed by Florida with 153 and South Carolina with 108. On the men’s side, the Dawgs are seventh with 73 points. Auburn (201), Tennessee (199.5) and Florida (129) hold the top three spots.

The Lady Dawgs came in fifth in the 200 medley relay as Kristen Shickora, Michelle McKeehan, Lauren English and Megan Romano had a time of 1:37.67. After the race, Georgia was disqualified for an early takeoff and losing those 28 points would have severely handicapped the Lady Dawgs’ chances at repeating. But the officials determined the disqualification was due to a faulty pad, and the Lady Dawgs were reinstated.

“That meant a heck of a lot,” Bauerle said. “Thank goodness they saw it and rectified it. A DQ in a meet like this is hard to make up.”

The Dawgs’ group of Jameson Hill, Matt Bartlett, Mark Dylla and Bill Cregar went 6:22.13 to take fourth in the 800 freestyle relay. That time qualified the Dawgs for the NCAAs. Hill had a leadoff split of 1:35.18 for Georgia’s fastest 200 freestyle time of the year.

In the 200 medley relay, the team of Bartlett, Martin Kata, Doug Reynolds and Michael Arnold placed fifth in 1:27.60.

The SECs will continue on Thursday with competition in the 500 freestyle, the 200 individual medley, the 50 freestyle and the 200 freestyle relay.

Lady Dawgs Defeat Rebels

BASKETBALL

Jasmine James scored a game-high 19 points to lead No. 24 Georgia (19-6, 9-3 SEC) to a 61-56 victory over Ole Miss (10-14, 3-9 SEC) at Tad Smith Coliseum on Sunday.

"We played very gritty," Andy Landers said. "It's always tough on the road."

James scored 13 second-half points in front a vocal group of about 40 family and friends from her hometown of Memphis, including a large number of former teammates at Bartlett High School. She also collected a season-high seven rebounds.

Jasmine Hassell added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Lady Dawgs, and Porsha Phillips chipped in 11 points and nine boards.

Georgia led by eight points as late as 2:15 left in the game, but the win wasn't secured until Tamika Willis hit two free throws with 5.9 seconds remaining.

After trailing by 10 late in the first half, the Lady Dawgs rallied to trim the margin to six at the half and scored the first four points following intermission to pull within a bucket.

Ole Miss responded with seven straight to build the advantage back to nine at 38-29 with 17:41 left.

Georgia rallied again to tie the score at 38-38 just 2:23 later and grabbed a 43-42 lead on a James steal and lay-up at the 9:57 mark.

"I was pleased with the way we started the second half, but son of a gun, they snatched the lead right back," Landers said. "We did a nice job to make another run to get back to even. After we went by, we pretty much handled our business well to a great extent from that point on."

The Lady Dawgs gradually pushed that margin to 57-49 with 3:23 remaining and then missed two chances to extend it even further by failing to convert a lay-up and committing a turnover on a breakaway.

"We missed two wide-open layups that I think changed the way the last few minutes were played," Landers said. "We could've gone up 12."

Georgia also missed the front end of two one-and-ones in the final minute and shot just 11-of-23 from the line for the game.

"We were snake bit at the line," Landers said. "It's tough in a close game when you don't knock them down but we were able to pull it out."

Georgia led early 15-12 after back-to-back threes from James and Anne Marie Armstrong, but Maggie McFerrin knotted the score on a three with 7:47 left in the half that ignited a 15-2 Ole Miss run over the next 4:07.

The Lady Dawgs didn't lead for a span of 16:41 until James' lay-up, but Georgia never trailed the rest of the day.

Georgia will now return to Athens to host No.15 Kentucky on Thursday at 7 p.m. The first 300 UGA students admitted to the game will receive free pizza, a "Beat Kentucky" t-shirt and could win a series of prizes included a flip cam.

Reserved seat tickets for the Lady Dawg games are $5 for adults and $3 for children. Those are available at the Butts-Mehre ticket office from 8:30-4:30 Monday-Friday and via the internet at www.georgiadogs.com. In addition, tickets will go on sale at the Stegeman Coliseum box office (on the side of arena closest to Sanford Drive) beginning 90 minutes before tip-off.

Lady Dawgs Lose To Vandy

BASKETBALL

The 24^th-ranked Georgia women’s basketball team posted a 17-2 run late in the second half to pull to within one point, but Vanderbilt was able to withstand it in earning a 69-59 win over the Lady Dawgs Thursday night in Stegeman Coliseum.

Georgia trailed by 16 with 8:59 to play before clawing all the way back to within one, 60-59, with 2:56 on the clock. But the Commodores kept the Lady Dawgs off the scoreboard from that point on, scoring nine straight to close the game and take away the double-digit road victory.

Georgia falls to 18-6 with the loss and 8-3 in SEC play, while Vanderbilt improves to 17-7 (8-3). Thursday’s loss was Georgia’s first at home this season as they now stand at 11-1.

“Tonight the bad thing was we were in a position where we had to make a comeback,” said head coach Andy Landers. “We would have liked the run we had at the end to be what put the game away, but it was just a run that was trying to get us back in the game. The reason we were behind to begin with is that we rebounded the ball poorly consistently, and we did a poor job of boxing out.”

“One of the things that happens when we turned the ball over is something that we coach against constantly: when the other team gets a possession, whether it’s a rebound or a turnover, you sprint back and play defense. You don’t gamble in the middle or on the ball at the wrong end of the floor. We did that three times tonight, and it cost us every time.”

The Lady Dawgs got double-digit scoring from Porsha Phillips (12), Jasmine Hassell (10), and Meredith Mitchell (10), but shot just 35 percent on the night including 3-for-19 from three-point range. Vanderbilt’s high scorer was point guard Jasmine Lister, who dropped 22 on 8-for-18 shooting and four threes in 38 minutes. Hannah Tuomi added 19 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out in the thick of Georgia’s comeback attempt.

Vanderbilt would score six of the last nine points in the first half to take a five-point lead, 32-27, into the locker room. Tuomi already had 10 points at the intermission along with seven rebounds.

A three from Lister with 13:47 on the clock in the second half put Vanderbilt up by double figures for the first time, 47-37. An 8-0 Commodore run pushed Vandy in front by 14, 55-41, with 10:00 on the clock and the lead grew to its largest margin of 16, 58-42, with 8:59 to play.

That would set the stage for the Georgia run, started by a lay-up from Tamika Willis. Anne Marie Armstrong recorded a steal and made a three at the other end to trim the deficit to just six, and Phillips and Armstrong added consecutive buckets followed by a Mitchell free throw to cap it at 17-2 and pull the Lady Dawgs out of the hole.

But Vanderbilt made sure it got no closer, as Lister and Stephanie Holzer combined for the 9-0 run to close the game, giving Vandy the 10-point victory.

Vanderbilt ended with 42 rebounds to Georgia’s 33, while committing 22 turnovers to Georgia’s 16. Jence Rhoads dished 10 assists for the Commodores.

The Dawgs are now 30-24 all-time vs. Vanderbilt and 15-7 at home.

Jasmine James returned to the Georgia lineup tonight after sitting out the Alabama game on Sunday. The sophomore rested a sprained wrist for one game but got the call vs. the Commodores, picking up eight points, four assists, and two steals in 34 minutes of action.

Georgia will look to get back on track when it travels to Ole Miss for a Sunday meeting on February 13. The Lady Dawgs and Rebels will tip at 2 p.m. ET on CSS.

Notes

•       This was Georgia’s first loss at home this season, they are now 11-1 at Stegeman Coliseum.
•       Vanderbilt closes the gap in the all-time series to 30-24 overall and 15-7 in Athens.
•       Following tonight’s game, Porsha Phillips is now 106 points from 1,000 total with the Lady Dawgs, as well as 39 blocks from No. 7 Tammye Jenkins among UGA’s career leaders in that category.
•       Porsha Phillips moved past No. 5 Medina Turner among UGA’s senior class leaders for rebounds. Phillips now has 248 boards this season.

Double-Digit Lady Dawgs

•       Porsha Phillips earned double-digits in points with 12, her 13th this season and the 52nd of her career. 
•       Jasmine Hassell earned double-digits in points with 10, her eighth this season and the 15th of her career.
•       Meredith Mitchell earned double-digits in points with 10, her 10th this season and the 23rd of her career.

Friend Is New Offensive Line Coach

FOOTBALL

University of Alabama Birmingham offensive line coach Will Friend has been named to the same position at the University of Georgia according to an announcement today by UGA head coach Mark Richt.

Friend, a former All-Southeastern Conference performer at Alabama, has served the past four years under head coach Neil Callaway, former offensive coordinator at UGA, and UAB offensive coordinator Kim Helton, former head coach at the University of Houston (1993-99) and offensive coordinator at the University of Miami (1979-82). Helton also was a long time assistant coach in the NFL with the Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Bucs, Houston Oilers, L.A. Raiders, and Miami Dolphins.

“Will has played and coached under some outstanding, nationally-recognized offensive coaches,” said Richt. “He comes with a formidable resume of offensive football knowledge and experience. I got to see first hand his work ethic when he was a graduate assistant on our staff and since that time he’s developed into a seasoned, top notch offensive line coach.”

“I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to be the offensive line coach at Georgia,” said Friend.  “To have the chance to work with one of the top football programs in the country and with Coach Richt and the staff there is a tremendous opportunity for me. When I worked with Coach Richt and the staff as a grad assistant, I had a great experience and I always wondered if I might have the opportunity to come back to Athens.  I am looking forward to getting to work.”

UAB's average offensive output per game the last two years represents two of the top three season marks in Blazers' history. The UAB offense registered 5,074 yards last season, the second-highest single-season total ever for the Blazers.

Quarterback Joe Webb, now with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, was named the Conference USA Offensive Player-of-the-Year following the 2009 season after he became the first player in NCAA history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in back to back seasons

The Blazers finished the 2010 campaign ranked No. 24 nationally in total offense (422.8 yards per game) and were 24th in passing offense (267.0). In 2009, UAB's rushing average of 229.9 yards per game was the highest mark for the Blazers in school history and ranked No. 7 in the nation. Their total offense average of 425.9 yards represents the second-highest average per game since the program was formed in 1991 and ranked 22nd in the country. UAB also ranked No. 15 in the country last season in sacks allowed, yielding only 12 in 12 games.

Friend came to UAB after spending two years at Gardner-Webb (2005-06) as the Bulldogs' offensive line coach. He had also spent two years as a graduate assistant coach at Georgia (2003-04) working with Callaway on the offensive line. In his first season at Gardner-Webb, the Bulldog offense ranked No. 10 nationally in total offense as Friend saw three of his linemen earn All-Big South Conference honors. He also spent a year at Tuscaloosa Central High School (2002) and was the offensive line coach at West Alabama in 2001.

As a player, Friend twice earned All-SEC honors at Alabama when Callaway was a member of the Crimson Tide coaching staff. He was a four-year starter at guard for the Crimson Tide, helping Alabama to the SEC Western Division title and berths in the SEC Championship Game in 1993, 1994 and 1996 -- with appearances in the Gator Bowl, Citrus Bowl (1996) and Outback Bowl (1997). Friend was named to Alabama's Team of the Decade for the 1990s.

A highly-recruited lineman out of high school, Friend was a Parade Magazine All-America selection as a senior at Neshoba Central High in Philadelphia, Miss. He earned his B.S. degree in human performance from Alabama in 1998. Friend is married to the former Carrie Moon of Pleasant Grove, Ala. They have one daughter, Katie, 4.

Miller Named Freshman Of The Week

BASKETBALL

Georgia's Khaalidah Miller was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week today for the third time in a six-week span.

Miller, a 5-9 guard from Atlanta's Douglass High School, averaged a team-best 15.5 points in victories over Arkansas and Alabama last week. She did so by shooting impressive percentages of 61.1 from the field, 54.5 from three-point range and 75.0 from the free throw line.

Miller scored nine points in the Lady Dawgs' overtime victory against Arkansas last Thursday. She nailed a 23-foot three-pointer in OT that put Georgia up 52-49. The Lady Dawgs never trailed after that point.

Against Alabama on Sunday, Miller exploded for 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor and 3-of-5 from behind the three-point arc.

Miller is currently Georgia's leading scorer in SEC play, averaging 11.9 ppg. She was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Jan. 3 after averaging 13.0 ppg in games against Louisiana Tech, FIU and South Carolina. Miller won Freshman of the Week recognition on Jan. 10 as well after she scored 24 points in a 61-59 win at No. 10 Kentucky.

All told, seven different Lady Dawgs have combined to earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors 18 times since the award's inception in 2006. Georgia's Jasmine James tied the SEC record for most Freshman of the Week certificates last season with five.

Georgia remained No. 24 in this week's Associated Press poll released on Monday. The Lady Dawgs received 107 votes this week, a considerable jump from their 43 votes last week.

Georgia returns to action on Thursday when the Lady Dawgs host Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. at Stegeman Coliseum.