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.

Landers Gets 850th Win

BASKETBALL

The 24^th-ranked University of Georgia women’s basketball team raced out to a 10-0 lead and never looked back in an 81-54 Super Bowl Sunday win over SEC West rival Alabama inside Stegeman Coliseum, remaining a perfect 11-0 at home this season.

The win gave head coach Andy Landers the 850^th of his legendary career – becoming just the fifth member of the exclusive club that also includes Pat Summitt, Jody Conradt, C. Vivian Stringer and Sylvia Hatchell. Of those, 767 wins have come with the Lady Dawgs.

Georgia was led by freshman Khaalidah Miller’s 22 points, while her teammates Anne Marie Armstrong (16), Porsha Phillips (12), and Meredith Mitchell (10) also reached double figures in the win as Georgia jumps to 18-5 (8-2). Alabama got a combined 21 points from Ericka Russell and Jasmine Robinson as the Crimson Tide fall to 12-12 (1-10) on the year.

“We rebounded the ball better starting the game,” Landers said. “Anne Marie and Porsha both got the ball, but they also left some points on the table. They were both active, got the ball under the rim and scored early. Anne Marie’s two threes early in the game helped create the separation. Coming into today, we understood that LaToya King and Tierney Jenkins were the people who generate the offense for them, and our team took it as a challenge to stop those two, particularly our inside people, and I really think they did an excellent job with it.”

Georgia got off to the fast 10-0 start on the strength of back-to-back threes from Armstrong. The Lady Dawgs’ lead was quickly 17-5 as freshman Ronika Ransford hit a jumper with 14:17 on the clock in the first half and the Georgia lead would continue to balloon.

The Lady Dawgs rattled off a 12-1 run that increased the advantage to 21, 39-18, with 2:47 to go before halftime, and it remained a 20-point lead at the break, 41-21.

Miller tallied 13 of her game-high 22 in the second half, including a three with 54 seconds left that matched Georgia’s largest lead of the game at 29, 81-52. The rookie from Atlanta went 8-of-10 from the floor and hit a trio of three-pointers on the afternoon, scoring double figures for the 10^th time this season.

Phillips chipped in 14 rebounds to lead Georgia to a season-high 52 on the glass, compared to just 31 for the Crimson Tide. Georgia moves to 33-9 all-time vs. Alabama and 15-3 at home.

Today's contest marked Georgia’s annual Pink Zone game, as the team wore pink jerseys to support the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) initiative to assist in raising breast cancer awareness. The Lady Dawgs were without the services of Jasmine James on Sunday. James rested a sprained right wrist initially suffered at Arkansas on January 13.

The Lady Dawgs are back at it this Thursday, February 10 as they welcome Vanderbilt to Athens for a 7 p.m. tip on CSS.

Notes & Quotes
•       With the win today, Andy Landers advances to an impressive 850th career victory as a collegiate head coach. Landers was 82-21 in four seasons at Roane State College from 1975-79 before becoming Georgia’s first full-time women’s basketball head. Landers has a 767-253 record in 32 seasons in Athens.
•       The Lady Dawgs advance to 33-9 all-time against Alabama. Georgia has now won 20 straight games in the series.
•       Porsha Phillips is now 118 points from 1,000 points with the Lady Dawgs. 
•       Porsha Phillips is now 40 blocks from No. 7 Tammye Jenkins among UGA’s career leaders. 
•       With the win today, the Lady Dawgs improve their record to a staggering 425-7 when scoring 80 or more points during Andy Landers’ 32 seasons as UGA.
•       Arieal Johnson tied her season and career high in rebounds with three.
•       Starting guard Jasmine James missed the game, resting a sprained right wrist initially suffered at Arkansas on January 13. James had started 55 consecutive games in her 56-game collegiate career prior to her DNP on Sunday.

Double-Digit Lady Bulldogs
•       Porsha Phillips earned a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds, her ninth of the season and the 20th of her career.
•       Porsha Phillips earned double-digits in points with 12, her 14th of the season and the 51st of her career.
•       Porsha Phillips earned double-digits in rebounds with 14, her 14th of the season and the 32nd of her career.
•       Khaalidah Miller earned double-digits in points with 22, her 10th of the season and the 10th of her career.
•       Anne Marie Armstrong earned double-digits in points with 16, her sixth of the season and the 12th of her career.
•       Meredith Mitchell earned double-digits in points with 10, her ninth of the season and the 22nd of her career.

Dawgs Defeat Tigers

BASKETBALL

Jeremy Price matched his career high with 22 points and Georgia outscored Auburn 14-5 in extra time en route to an 81-72 overtime victory Saturday afternoon in Stegeman Coliseum.

Price led the Dawgs with 22 points on 6-of-9 shooting and was 10-for-13 from the line. Travis Leslie got 20 points and Trey Thompkins added 16 for Georgia. Auburn’s Earnest Ross led all scorers on the day with 30 as he was 5-of-7 from three.

Supplementing Price’s career scoring day, the senior also set a new career-best on the glass, grabbing 14 rebounds, and matched his career block total with four.

Georgia led handily in the rebounding column, 48-30, improving to 16-6 (5-4) and dropping AU to 8-15 (1-8).

“That was a hard fought SEC game. I feel fortunate to win it,” said head coach Mark Fox. “Auburn played with a little more edge than we did, and you have to credit them for that. It is a win, even though I’m very disappointed. I don’t think I did a very good job preparing our team to play, to be honest with you.”

“Jeremy did play very well. Trey had an IV this morning. He’s not well, so JP knew that he was going to have to come ready to play, and I thought he was consistently pretty darn good for us. He rebounded the ball well, scored it, and played like a senior.”

Georgia owned a nine-point lead over Auburn, 33-24, with 4:45 remaining in the first half before an 8-0 Tiger run closed the gap to just a one-point lead. A dunk for Price off a perfect pass inside from Leslie gave the Dawgs a four-point advantage, 38-34, heading into the break.

Georgia went up by seven on a Leslie dunk with 11:31 left in regulation that made it 56-49, and the Dawgs stretched the lead out to eight, 60-52, with 9:56 on the clock as Dustin Ware layed one in following a steal for teammate Marcus Thornton.

But the Tigers again clawed their way back, scoring the next seven points to cut it to just a one-point deficit, 60-59, with 6:20 left in the second. That mini-run was capped by a lay-up for Adrian Forbes following a turnover from Georgia’s Chris Barnes.

Georgia went back out in front by six with 4:09 to play and led by five, 66-61, with 2:38 left, but a couple of late turnovers proved costly as Auburn scored four points in the final 13 seconds of regulation to tie it at 67-67 with just 10 ticks remaining. The Dawgs had a look at the game-winner as Robinson’s lay-up rimmed out with just a second left, and by the time Leslie put up the follow time had expired.

But Georgia took control in overtime, and after trading buckets with the Tigers early, did not allow Auburn to score through the final 3:13 of OT and closed the contest on a sizzling 10-0 run that included hot free-throw shooting in the final minute. The Dawgs outscored Auburn 14-5 in extra time on their way to the 81-72 win during the Saturday matinee.

With today’s performance, Trey Thompkins joined an elite group of Georgia basketball players becoming just the ninth Dawg all-time to amass 1,200 points and 600 rebounds in a career. He is just the third, however, to accomplish the feat in three seasons.

The win today pushes Georgia just ahead of Auburn in the all-time series, as the Dawgs take a slim 88-87 lead vs. the Tigers.

Cone Named All American

BASEBALL

University of Georgia junior outfielder Zach Cone has been named a 2011 second team preseason All-American by Baseball America.

Cone captured the “Triple Crown” for the Dawgs last season, leading the team in batting average (.363), home runs (10) and RBI (53). A 6-2, 202-pound native of Stone Mountain, Ga., he was a third round draft pick of the Los Angeles Angels in the 2008 MLB draft after his final year at Parkview High School.

Also in the “2011 Best Tools” category, Cone was tabbed as the “fastest runner” among this year’s draft pool of collegiate players. Last month, the magazine rated Cone among the top 100 college prospects for the 2011 Major League Baseball draft, which will be in June.

Cone is the 18^th Dawg in school history to be named a preseason All-American and the first since first baseman Rich Poythress and catcher Bryce Massanari in 2009. Incidentally, Poythress, a second round pick of the Seattle Mariners in 2009, led all Minor Leaguers with 130 RBI last year. He was named Seattle’s Minor League Player of the Year after batting .315 with 31 home runs for High Desert of the California League.

Currently, Georgia is preparing for the 2011 season that features 31 games against teams preseason ranked in the top 25. The Dawgs open the 2011 campaign on February 18 with a series against Stetson in DeLand, Florida. Georgia’s home opener will be on February 23 against Furman followed by a three-game series with 16^th-ranked Baylor from February 25th to the 27th.

Uga VIII Succumbs To Lymphoma

Uga VIII, the white male English Bulldog mascot of the University of Georgia, died early today.  He had been diagnosed with lymphoma in early January of this year.

No formal funeral ceremony is scheduled.

Born Sept. 12, 2009, Uga VIII had been introduced to the Dawg Nation Saturday, October 16, during pre-game ceremonies of the Georgia-Vanderbilt game in Sanford Stadium.

He served the final six regular season games of 2010.

According to the Frank W. “Sonny” Seiler family, long-time owners of the Bulldog line of mascots, “Russ” will serve again as the interim mascot.  Russ served as interim mascot the final two games of 2009 and the first six games of 2010 prior to Uga VIII being introduced.  The continuous line of Georgia Bulldog mascots have been owned by the Seiler family for more than 50 years.

Lady Dawgs Win In Overtime

BASKETBALL

The Georgia women’s basketball team overcame a season-low first half scoring output on its way to a 57-54 overtime victory over Arkansas Thursday evening in Stegeman Coliseum.

Georgia charged back from an 11-0 deficit to start the game and trailed the Razorbacks just 22-20 at halftime. The Lady Dawgs came alive in the second period to take the lead but would eventually find themselves in overtime, where Georgia outscored Arkansas 10-7 and held on for the win to remain perfect at home.

The Lady Dawgs improve to 17-5 (7-2) while Arkansas falls to 16-6 (4-6).

“Tonight we defended them well, and they defended us well,” said head coach Andy Landers. “We made a couple more plays than they did. We have to talk about how well our defense did in turning them over, and how well our offense played in not turning it over because those possessions are probably the difference in the basketball game.”

Georgia was led on the night by Jasmine James’ 14 points while Meredith Mitchell added 12. Porsha Phillips was just one off her career in rebounds with 18 to lead all players. That mark is also good for the highest output ever by a Georgia player against SEC competition.

Arkansas center Sarah Watkins grabbed a double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds while Lyndsay Harris scored 22.

Georgia took its first lead of the game at 25-24 with 18:48 on the clock in the second half and went up by its largest margin of four, 38-34, with 12:14 left on a jumper for James. Arkansas came back to take the lead again as Harris hit one of her six threes to make it 44-42 in favor of the visitors with 4:05 remaining in regulation.

James hit a jumper and Phillips made one of two free throws to give the lead back to the Lady Bulldogs, 45-44, with 2:33 to go, but Harris drained another long-ranger to make it a 47-45 Arkansas lead in the back-and-forth affair. James hit a pair from the line with just under two to go, and that was the last scoring of the second half as the first 40 minutes went undecided at 47-47.

Georgia was in-bounding the ball with just three-tenths of a second to go, and freshman Khaalidah Miller caught and shot, hitting a three that would have given the Dawgs the lead, but the officials ruled she didn’t get it off in time and the teams were headed for OT.

Georgia had four different players score in extra time, including Miller – who made a three that counted that time around and pushed the Lady Dawgs in front by three, 52-49, with 2:49 left. A jumper for Mitchell gave Georgia four-point lead at 54-50, but a lay-up from C’eira Ricketts would tie the game for the seventh time, 54-54, with 33 seconds to go. Georgia benefited from a pair of late Arkansas fouls and went 3-for-4 from the line in the final 13 seconds to earn the one-point win.

The Lady Dawgs improve to 23-9 all-time in overtime games including six in a row, a streak that dates back to the 2005 season. Georgia improves to 25-4 in the series history vs. Arkansas.

The Dawgs are next in action this Sunday, February 6 vs. Alabama for a 2 p.m. tip.

Notes
•       With the win today, Georgia improves to a 25-4 lead overall and an 11-2 lead in Athens in the series with Arkansas.
•       With the win today, the Lady Dawgs continue their at home winning streak to 10.
•       With the win today, Andy Landers is now one win shy of his 850th career victory as a collegiate head coach.
•       With the win today, Porsha Phillips is now 130 points away from 1,000 points with the Lady Dawgs.
•       Porsha Phillips’ 18 rebounds represents the most ever by a Lady Dawg against SEC competition.
•       Georgia improves to 23-9 all-time in overtime games, including winning its last six OT contests the past five seasons.

Double-Digit Lady Dawgs
•       With today’s win, Porsha Phillips earned double-digits with 18 rebounds, the 13th of the season and 31st of her career.
•       With today’s win, Jasmine James earned double-digits with 14 points, the 13th of the season and 31st of her career.
•       With today’s win, Meredith Mitchell earned double-digits with 12 points, the eighth of the season and the 21st of her career.

Signing Day Recap – Defensive Line

FOOTBALL

Jonathan Jenkins

Nose Tackle, 6-4, 340

Meriden, Connecticut

Born: July 11, 1989... Junior College: Gulf Coast Community College, Perkinston, Mississippi……Ranked a Scout.com Four-Star player, #11 overall junior college player, #7 overall DT in the country… Rivals.com Four-Star player, ranked 6^th best JUCO player in the country… ESPN.com Four-Star player… Last season at Gulf Coast CC recorded 41 tackles and two sacks… Gulf Coast CC’s Head Coach: Steven Campbell… High School: Francis T. Maloney HS… Originally from Meriden, Connecticut… High School Coach: Bob Zito

Sterling Bailey

Defensive End, 6-5, 260

Gainesville, Georgia

Born: September 13, 1992...High School: East Hall…SuperPrep All-America and All-Dixie teams…PrepStar Dream Team 150….Rivals.com four-star prospect, #8 DE nationally, #6 overall prospect in Georgia, #105 nationally…Scout.com three-star prospect, #37 DE nationally…ESPN.com four-star prospect, #16 DE nationally…MaxPreps.com ranked #10 DE nationally…24/7sports.com three-star prospect…played in U.S. Army All-American Bowl as a senior…2010 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Georgia Top 50 (#25)…2010 Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AA All-State Second Team… …elected to the 2010-2011 Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership Hall Class…2009 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class AAA All-State First Team, Georgia Sportswriters Association Class AAA All-State First Team, and ESPNU 150 watch list…2009 Region 7-AAA All-Region First Team…as a junior registered 68 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, five sacks, 17 quarterback hurries and a blocked field goal…2008 Honorable Mention All-State, Region 7-AAA First Team and All Hall County Team…2007 Region 7-AAA All-Region Team Honorable Mention…voted team captain as a junior and senior…participated in 2010 Georgia Olympics for shot put…played basketball, football and participated in track and field for East Hall…High School Coach: Bryan Gray.

Chris Mayes

Nose Tackle, 6-5, 295

Griffin, Georgia

Born: September 27, 1991…High School: Spalding…2010 PrepStar All-Region Team…SuperPrep All-Dixie team….PrepStar All-Southeast Region team…Rivals.com four-star prospect, #26 DT nationally, #22 overall prospect in Georgia…Scout.com three-star prospect, #50 DT nationally…ESPN.com four-star prospect, #23 DT nationally…2010 Griffin Daily News All-Area DL…as a senior recorded 34 total tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, two QB sacks, and two blocked kicks….as a junior recorded 32 total tackles, 18 tackles-for-loss, three QB sacks, 10 QB pressures, and 3 blocked kicks in his first year playing organized football…also lettered in basketball…High School Coach: Clint Ashmore.

Signing Day Recap – Linebackers

FOOTBALL

Ray Drew

Linebacker, 6-5, 243

Thomasville, Georgia

Born: September 24, 1992...High School: Thomas County Central...USA Today All-USA first-team defense…Sporting News #5 among Top 100…#5 on Sporting News Top 100…SuperPrep Elite 50, All-America, and All-Dixie teams….PrepStar Top 150 Dream Team… Army All-America East team…Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11, #2 player in Georgia, Class AAAA All-State first-team defense…Scout.com five-star prospect, #33 player and #6 defensive end in the country, #2 player in Georgia …Rivals.com five-star recruit, #9 player and #1 defensive end in the country, #2 player in Georgia….ESPN.com five-star recruit, ESPNU 150, #13 player in the country, #2 defensive end…MaxPreps.com #18 player overall, #3 defensive end…as a junior, recorded 72 tackles, including 16 for loss and six sacks…High School Coach: Ed Pilcher.

Amarlo Herrera

Linebacker, 6-1, 224

College Park, Georgia

BORN: September 20, 1991…High School: North Clayton…PrepStar All-Southeast Region team…Scout.com Four-Star Player, #11 MLB in the country and #15 Player in Georgia…Rivals.com Four-Star Player, #230 overall player and #13 LB in the country, #17 Player in Georgia…ESPN Four-star player, #9 OLB in the country…. Atlanta Journal-Constitution Top 50 and member of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class AAAA All-State team…. Georgia Sports Writers Association All-State team…also named All-Region and All-County…Defensive Player of the Year in Clayton County and Region 4AAAA….Defensive MVP of NCHS as junior and senior….his 181 career tackles set single season school record….High School Coach: Rodney Hackney.

Kent Turene

Linebacker, 6’3”, 225

Lauderdale Lakes, Florida

Born: July 25, 1992…High School: Boyd Anderson…Under Armour All-American…SuperPrep All-Dixie Team….PrepStar All-American Scout.com Four-Star player, #37 middle linebacker nationally…Rivals.com Three-Star player, #18 linebacker, #52 player in Florida…ESPN.com Four-Star player, #7 linebacker…24/7sports.com Four-Star player, #8 linebacker, #43 player in Florida…as a senior recorded 110 tackles, two interceptions, and six forced fumbles…as a junior recorded 120 tackles, 10 sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles…High School coach: Mark James.

Ramik Wilson

Linebacker, 6-2, 218

Tampa, Florida

Born: August 19, 1992...High School: Jefferson...SuperPrep All-Dixie team....Scout.com three-star recruit, #27 rated outside linebacker in the country...Rivals.com four-star prospect, #229 player in the country, #58 player in Florida, #12 linebacker...ESPN.com four-star recruit, #11 linebacker...three way starter at Jefferson as an inside linebacker on defense, a tight end on offense and served as the team's punter... as a senior, recorded 90 tackles, 18 sacks, and six forced fumbles... also caught 19 passes for 258 yards and five touchdowns...as a junior, recorded 92 tackles to go with nine sacks and two interceptions...also recorded twenty catches for 310 yards as a tight end... High School Coach: Mike Fenton.

Signing Day Recap – Cornerback

FOOTBALL

Chris Sanders

Cornerback, 6-1, 176

Tucker, Georgia

Born: February 26, 1993…High School: Tucker…SuperPrep All-Dixie Team…Atlanta Journal Constitution Super 11 and Class AAAA All-State Defensive team, #33 ranked player in Georgia…Rivals.com Three-Star Player, #24 Athlete, #28 overall in Georgia…Scout.com Four-Star Player, #20 Safety…Georgia Sports Writers Association second team All-State Class AAAA Defensive team…Three year starter at Tucker High School…Played Linebacker and Safety in his 2008 Sophomore season helping lead Tucker to a Class AAAA State Championship…Accumulated 32 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one interception as a junior, as well as seven catches for 158 yards two touchdowns, while also handling the team’s punting and return duties…High School Coach: Franklin Stephens.

Damian Swann

Cornerback, 6-1, 170

Atlanta, Georgia

Born: December 4, 1992…High School: Grady…Army All American…Sporting News Top 100…SuperPrep All-America and All-Dixie teams….. PrepStar Dream Team 150…ESPN.com #9 Athlete, #76 overall prospect…Rivals.com Four Star Player, #3 Safety, #47 overall prospect, #5 overall prospect in Georgia…Scout.com Four Star Player, #9 Safety…Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11 Team, #12 overall prospect in Georgia, Class AAA All State Defensive Team… Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AAA All State Defensive Team…Started all four years in high school, started on defense, offense, and special teams…as a junior recorded 800 receiving yards with 11 touchdowns, 30 tackles and 4 interceptions with one defensive touchdown…High School Coach: Ronnie Millen.

Devin Bowman

Cornerback, 6-0, 175

Rossville, Georgia

Born: January 26, 1992…High School: Ridgeland…SuperPrep All-Dixie team….Georgia State High School All-Star game North team...Scout.com three-star prospect, #38 CB in the country...Rivals.com three-star recruit, #42 athlete, #33 player in Georgia...ESPN.com four-star recruit, #12 cornerback.. career statistics include 1,567 yards rushing, 503 yards receiving, 18 TD’s five TD’s on special teams returns, seven interceptions (two for TD’s)...led Ridgeland to three straight 6-AAA region championships in 2008-09-10 and a 27-3 three-year record...brother Adarius is a wide receiver in the Canadian Football League...brother Michael is a wide receiver for Alabama...High School Coach: Mark Mariakis.

Signing Day Recap – Safety

FOOTBALL

Corey Moore

Safety, 6-1, 195

Griffin, Georgia

Born: January 28, 1993…High School: Griffin…2010 Army All-America Team…2010 PrepStar Top 150 Dream Team…SuperPrep All-America and All-Dixie teams….Rivals.com four-star prospect, #5 DB nationally, #12 overall prospect in Georgia, #103 overall prospect nationally…Scout.com four-star prospect, #6 SAF nationally…#10 overall player in Georgia….EPSN.com four-star prospect, #15 DB nationally… 2010 Atlanta Journal Constitution Top 50...2010 Georgia Athletic Coaches Association North-South All-Star Team…2010 Griffin Daily News All-Area ATH…played backup QB during his senior year…also lettered in basketball and track…High School Coach: Steve Devoursney.

Nick Marshall

Safety, 6-2, 185

Rochelle, Georgia

Born: June 30, 1992…High School: Wilcox County...Named a PrepStar All-American team..SuperPrep All-Dixie team…..2010 Georgia Sports Writers Association Class A Offensive Player of the Year…Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Super 11” selection, Class A Offensive Player of the Year, #5 ranked prospect in Georgia…two-time Macon Telegraph Middle Georgia Offensive Player of the Year...Rivals.com four-star player, 20th ranked player in Georgia, #15 ranked ATH...Scout.com four-star prospect, #158 overall player nationally, #15 CB nationally, #12 overall player in Georgia...ESPN.com #31 QB nationally…Rated as 18^th best athlete by MaxPreps.com…led Wilcox County to the Class A championship as a junior, passing for 2,956 yards and 32 touchdowns…lettered in basketball averaging 28 points as a junior in…High School Coach: Mark Ledford.

Quintavius Harrow

Safety, 6-2, 200

Columbus, Georgia

Born: September 11, 1992….High School: Carver…Rivals.com three-star prospect…Scout.com two-star prospect…as a senior, registered 45 tackles including 33 solo and 12 assisted, as well as three sacks as he helped lead Carver to the Class AA semifinals and a 13-1 record…as a junior, helped Carver finish 11-2…as a sophomore, was part of a team that finished 11-3…ran track as a senior, posting personal-bests of 11.21 (100-meter dash), 22.70 (200) and 20-1.25 in the long jump…took second in the 100-meter dash at both the MCSD Meet 4/13 and MCSD Meet 3/30 by posting a 11.28 and 11.24, respectively…played football and track…High School Coach: Dell McGee.

Signing Day Recap – Running Back

FOOTBALL

Isaiah Crowell

Running Back, 5-11, 210

Columbus, Georgia

Born: January 8, 1993...High School: Carver…SuperPrep Elite 50 (#5), All-America and Alll-Dixie teams….PrepStar Dream Team 150…Rivals.com five-star prospect, #4 RB nationally, #3 overall prospect in Georgia, #23 overall prospect nationally…Scout.com five-star prospect, #1 RB nationally, #1 overall prospect in Georgia, #5 overall prospect nationally…ESPN.com five-star prospect, #1 RB nationally, #5 overall prospect nationally, ESPNU 150…24/7sports.com five-star recruit, #1 RB nationally, #1 overall prospect in Georgia, #14 overall prospect nationally…

played in the 2011 Under Armour All-American Game…Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2010 Georgia’s Super 11, Georgia Top 50 #1, Class AA Offensive Player of the Year and Class AA All-State First Team…2010 Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AA All-State First Team…2010 Ledger-Enquirer All-Bi-City Offensive Player of the Year…Columbus Valley Area Hughston Clinic Offensive Player of the Year…2010 Orlando Sentinel All-Southern First Team… MaxPreps.com Lemming’s Top 25 Tailbacks #9, Lemming’s Top 100 #55…2009 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class AAA All-State First Team…2009 Georgia Sportswriters Association Class AAA All-State First Team…2009 Ledger-Enquirer All-Bi-City Offensive Player of the Year…

as a senior rushed for 1,721 yards and 18 TD’s on 147 carries leading Carver to the Class AA semi-finals…as a junior, rushed for 1,915 yards on 175 carries and 25 touchdowns leading Carver to the third round of Class AA playoffs…as a sophomore, rushed for 1,017 yards and 15 TD’s on 85 carries …as a freshman rushed for 219 yards and three TD’s on 22 carries helping Carver to an undefeated season (15-0) and a 2007 Class AAA State Championship….

four year letterman in track, posting personal-bests of 10.91 (100-meter dash), 22.38 (200), 52.53 (400) and 12:36.84 in the 3200 meter-run…participated in 100m and 200m at the 2010 Georgia Olympics…as a junior, took first at Region 2-AAA Boys posting a 11.09 (100m)…placed first at MCSD Meet 4/13/10 and 4/20/10 by posting a 11.17 (100m) at both meets…placed first in two events at MCSD Meet 3/30/10 posting a 11.18 (100m) and 22.96 (200m)…High School Coach: Dell McGee.

Signing Day Recap – Quarterback

FOOTBALL

Christian LeMay

Quarterback, 6-2, 195

Matthews, North Carolina

Born: June 12, 1992…High School: David W. Butler…. 2010 PrepStar Dream Team 150…SuperPrep All-American and All-MidAtlantic teams….2009 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year…MaxPreps.com 2009 National Junior of the Year, All-American, All-Conference, All-Area Team, one of two Juniors invited to Elite 11, Spiewak’s 2011 Watch List…Rivals.com four-star prospect, #3 rated quarterback, #85 prospect in the country, #5 player in North Carolina…Scout.com four-star player, #101 overall prospect, #8 quarterback in the country, #2 player in N.C.…ESPN.com 5^th ranked quarterback, #100 overall…2010 All-Nike Camp Offense Team Honorable Mention…as a sophomore in 2008 had 1,800 passing yards and 16 touchdown passes, rushed for 350 yards and 3 touchdowns…as a junior in 2009 led his team to first state championship in school history and a conference title with the most passing touchdowns in a season (48) and the least interceptions thrown in a season (2)….had 3,296 passing yards and completed 68.5% of his passes...High School Coach: Mike Newsome.

Signing Day Recap – Wide Receivers

FOOTBALL

Chris Conley

Wide Receiver, 6-3, 180

Dallas, Georgia

Born: October 25, 1992…High School: North Paulding…SuperPrep All-Dixie team…PrepStar All-Southeast Region team….Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11, #11 player in Georgia and Class AAAA All-State first-team offense...Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AAAA All-State first-team offense...Scout.com four-star recruit, #220 player and #34 wide receiver in the country, #18 player in Georgia,...Rivals.com three-star recruit, #45 wide receiver, #29 player in Georgia…ESPN.com four-star recruit, #25 wide receiver...MaxPreps.com #34 wide receiver...as a senior, caught 61 passes for 1,021 yards and 15 touchdowns…added six kick-off returns for 150 yards and two punt returns for 10 yards...also totaled 45 tackles as a safety…as a junior caught all 81 passes for 848 yards and six touchdowns...graduated high school in December and enrolled early at Georgia...High School Coach: Heath Webb.

Malcolm Mitchell

Wide Receiver, 6-1, 187

Valdosta, Georgia

Born: July 20, 1992... High School: Valdosta High School… Under Armour All-American… SuperPrep All-American and All-Dixie teams…PrepStar All-America team….2010 Atlanta Journal- Constitution #6 on Top 50 and Class AAAAA All-State team on offense… 2010 Georgia Sports Writers Association All-State team on offense… Ranked the 68^th best prospect by Maxpreps.com… Four-Star prospect by ESPN.com…#45 overall prospect and #7 WR on the ESPNU 150… Scout.com Four-Star player, #90 overall prospect, #7 CB in the country, #6 player in Georgia… Rivals.com, Four-Star player, #1 CB, #30 overall in the country, 15^th best player in Georgia… Region 1-AAAAA Player of the Year… Set a Valdosta HS single season reception record in 2010 with 77 catches for 1,419 yards and 7 TD’s…High School Coach: Rance Gillespie.

Justin Scott-Wesley

Wide Receiver, 6-1, 210

Camilla, Georgia

Born: June 25, 1993…High School: Mitchell County…Under Armour All-American…PrepStar All-America…SuperPrep All-Dixie Team…Rivals.com Four-Star Player, #32 Wide Receiver, #13 overall in Georgia…ESPN.com Four-Star Player, #24 Wide Receiver, Scout grade of 80 out of 100…Scout.com Three-Star Player, #51 Wide Receiver…Maxpreps.com #27 Wide Receiver…Class AA 2009 and 2010 State Champion in 200 meter dash…Class AA 2010 State Champion in 100 meter dash…High School Coach: Dondrial Pinkins.

Sanford Seay

Wide Receiver, 6-2, 200

Leesburg, Georgia

Born: June 4, 1992…High School: Lee County…Scout.com three-star prospect, #147 WR nationally…Rivals.com three-star recruit, #68 wide receiver in the country…2011 Atlanta Journal Constitution Class AAAA All-State First Team Offense…2010 Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AAAA All-State Second Team Offense… as a senior, led his team to the playoffs for the first time since 2005 recording 68 receptions for 1,105 yards and 15 touchdowns…career totals included 120 receptions, 1,800 yards, and 22 TD’s…. as a junior, led Region AAAA in receiving….2010 inaugural Albany Herald “People’s Choice” Player of the Year…Named to the Albany Herald All-Area and All-Metro teams…High School Coach: Dean Fabrizio.

Signing Day Recap – Tight End

FOOTBALL

Jay Rome

Tight End, 6-6, 250

Valdosta, Georgia

Born: December 12, 1992... High School: Valdosta High School… Under Armour All-American where he was voted captain of the Black squad…Sporting News Top 100….SuperPrep All-America and All-Dixie teams….PrepStar Dream Team 150…Played in the Georgia State High School All-Star Game… 2010 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11, #3 in Top 50, Class AAAA All-State… 2010 Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AAAA All-State team… #26 in MaxPreps.com top 100, #1 TE…ESPN.com Four-Star player, #18 overall prospect, #1 TE in the country… Rivals.com Four-Star player #56 overall and #4 TE in the country, #4 overall in Georgia … Scout.com Four-Star player, #68 overall prospect, #4 TE overall in the country, #4 player in Georgia….High School Coach: Rance Gillespie.

Signing Day Recap – Offensive Line

FOOTBALL

David Andrews

Offensive Center, 6-2, 275

Norcross, Georgia

Born: July 10, 1992...High School: Wesleyan…SuperPrep All-Dixie team…PrepStar All-Southeast Region team…….Rivals.com three-star prospect, #9 center nationally, #37 overall prospect in Georgia…Scout.com three-star prospect, #6 center nationally…ESPN.com three-star prospect, #6 center nationally…24/7sports.com three-star prospect…2010 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class A All-State First Team and # 41 on Georgia Top 50…2010 Georgia Sportswriters Association Class A All-State First Team…2010 U.S. Army National All-Combine Team Honorable Mention…played in 2010 NUC All-World Gridiron Classic…2010 Gwinnett County Offensive Lineman of the Year…Gwinnett Daily Post All-County First Team Offense…as a senior, recorded a 92 percent blocking grade average, 58 knockdowns and did not allow a sack…also recorded 41 tackles and eight tackles-for-loss…as a junior, recorded an 88% blocking grade average with 48 knockdowns and did not allow a sack…also added 41 tackles and eight tackles-for-loss on defense….2009 Gwinnett County All-County Second Team…helped lead Wesleyan to a Class A state championship as a sophomore in 2008…High School Coach: Franklin Pridgen.

Watts Dantzler

Offensive Tackle, 6-7, 315

Dalton, Georgia

Born: November 16, 1991…High School: Dalton…SuprePrep All-Dixie team….PrepStar All-America team…Scout.com Four-star player, #219 player in the country, #23 OT in the country, #17 overall player in Georgia…Rivals.com Three-star player, #44 OT in the country, #30 Player in Georgia…ESPN 4-star player, #12 ranked OT in the country…Member of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Top 50 in Georgia and Class AA All-State Team…Member of the Georgia Sports Writers Association All-State team…Participated in the National Underclassmen Combine All-World Gridiron Classic…Also averaged 17 points, nine rebounds and three blocks per game on Dalton’s basketball team…High School Coach: Matt Land.

Xzavier Ward

Offensive Tackle, 6-7, 270

Moultrie, Georgia

Born: April 10, 1993…High School: Colquitt County…SuperPrep All-Dixie Team….PrepStar All-Southeast Region Team…Scout.com Three-star player, #40 OT in the Country…Rivals.com Three-star player, #42 OT in the Country, #31 Player in Georgia…ESPN Four-star player, #17 ranked OT in the Country…Member of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Top 50 in Georgia, top ranked offensive lineman in Georgia, Class AAAAA All-State Team…Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AAAAA All-State team…Participated in Georgia State High School All-Star game…helped team to state championship game…High School Coach: Rush Propst.

Zach DeBell

Offensive Tackle, 6-7, 265

Tarpon Springs, Florida

BORN: August 6, 1993…High School: Tarpon Springs…SuperPrep All-Dixie team…. PrepStar All-America team…Member of the Army All-America East Team…Scout.com Four-star player… #292 Overall Player and #28 OT in the country, #30 player in Florida…Rivals.com 3-star player, #41 OT in the country, #30 player in Florida…ESPN Three-star player, #30 OT in the country…Named “ESPN Rise 7” Athlete Orlando Sentinel Top 100 in Florida… …Participated in the 2010 Under Armour All-American Football Combine…Attended the Nike Football Combine…High School Coach: Atif Austin.

Hunter Long

Offensive Guard, 6-3, 293

Eads, Tennessee

Born: December 29, 1992..High School: Briarcrest Christian... PrepStar All-Southeast Region team...SuperPrep All-Dixie team….2010 Tennessee Sports Writers Association Division II-AA All-State team…Rivals.com three-star player, 18th ranked player in Tennessee...Scout.com three-star prospect, #41 OG nationally...ESPN.com #18 OG nationally…High School Coach: Major Wright.

Nathan Theus

Long Snapper, 6-3, 255

Jacksonville, Florida

Born: July 2, 1992…High School: The Bolles School… ranked No. 1 long snapper for 2010 by ProKicker.com… PrepStar All-Southeast Region team…Scout.com two-star prospect…..Rivals.com two-star prospect… Florida Times-Union All-First Coast First Team... Florida Times-Union Super 24... helped lead The Bolles School to an undefeated regular season and district title in 2010, a district title and FHSSA Class AA state championship in 2009 and an undefeated season and FHSSA Class AA state championship in 2008… High School Coach: Corky Rogers.

Dawgs Edge Hogs

BASKETBALL

Trey Thompkins scored all 12 of his points in the second half – including the game-winning free throw with 1.4 seconds left – to lift the Georgia men’s basketball team to a 60-59 win over Arkansas Wednesday night in Bud Walton Arena.

After Arkansas tied the game at 59 on a lay-up for Julysses Nobles, Thompkins put up an attempt down the other end and was fouled. The junior made the first of two from the line and it was enough as the Dawgs improved to 15-6 and 4-4 in SEC play. The Razorbacks fall to 14-7 (4-4) with their first home loss of the season.

With the win tonight Georgia avoided losing three straight games for the first time in 2010-11. Georgia – which was led on the night by 14 points from Gerald Robinson – has now played eight games decided by three or fewer points this season, and is 7-1 in those games.

“It was an ugly game early, and one of those typical February conference games where both teams understood how the other was trying to play,” said head coach Mark Fox. “It was nothing pretty. It was a grind-out game, but fortunately for us we could hang around long enough until we finally found an offensive rhythm and built the lead. Then you play from in front. Arkansas was able to tie it several times but we never fell back behind and I am really proud of our effort.”

Snow in Fayetteville prevented the Georgia team from arriving until earlier today and the Dawgs took some time to find their rhythm, starting the day on just a 4-of-20 shooting clip. But Georgia used a late spurt to close the first half down just three, 25-22, at the break after going down by as many as nine in the opening period.

It didn’t take long for the Dawgs to tie it coming out of the locker room, as Thompkins hit a pair of jumpers in the first minute of the second half to give Georgia its first lead of the night at 26-25 with just 50 seconds elapsed.

After the Razorbacks tied things back up at 30, Georgia put in seven straight points to go up by its largest margin of the night of 37-30 with 12:44 left. It was knotted again – one of eight second-half stalemates – at 41-41 with just under 10 remaining before the Dawgs used another mini-run to take a five-point lead, 46-41, on a three from Dustin Ware and a jumper for Jeremy Price.

Thompkins gave the Dawgs a six-point cushion at 59-53 with 3:49 to play in the game on a three-pointer from the side, but the Razorbacks again came back to tie it with six straight points culminating with Nobles’ lay-up that made it 59 all with just 27 seconds left.

That set up the last sequence for Thompkins, as he took the final shot and was fouled with under two ticks on the clock. The junior made the first and missed the second, and Arkansas grabbed the defensive rebound but didn’t have time to run it back the other way as the Dawgs held on for the road win.

The Razorbacks were led on the night by Marshawn Powell’s 16 points as he was the only Arkansas player to find double figures. Georgia got 11 from Price as he joined Robinson and Thompkins there.

Georgia corrected its first-half shooting woes after the break, going from 29 percent from the floor in the first to 52 percent in the second. The Dawgs won the rebounding battle by a count of 43-28, including a staggering 15-5 in the offensive column.

Tonight marked just the 28^th all-time meeting between the Dawgs and Hogs, with Arkansas holding a 16-12 lead in the series.