2023-11-21 01:30:00
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NASSAU, Bahamas – Columbia rallied from 13 points down to take a lead entering the fourth quarter but might not keep the momentum going, suffering a loss to Georgia, 73-56, on Monday in the opener of the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship.
Columbia (2-3) used a 10-0 third-quarter run to tie the game at 44. Paige Lauder gave the Lions their first lead when she connected from long range with just over a minute left, which kept Columbia on top, 47-46, heading to the fourth.
Georgia (4-1) scored on its first four possessions of the fourth quarter and never trailed once more. Zoesha Smith’s and-1 bucket 17 seconds in was the start of a 14-0 run that spanned nearly five and a half minutes. Smith had 10 of those 14 points on her way to a game-high 18 on 8-of-11 shooting.
“We became unhinged. I think we let the things that bother us early in the game bother us once more and this time we didn’t have another punch back in us,” eighth-year head coach Megan Griffith said. “Georgia completely took the momentum. Credit to them for having a good game plan and just being really physical with us. That’s a physical team and they were ready for us.”
Nicole Stephens’ layup at the 4:31 mark snapped the run and Columbia’s 0-for-9 mark from the field over that time. Unfortunately, there was no second rally as Georgia’s advantage remained in double figures the rest of the way.
Sghetti for the lead!!! ????
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— Columbia Women’s Basketball (@CULionsWBB) November 20, 2023
A big difference-maker in the game was rebounding. UGA grabbed seven of the game’s first eight rebounds to build a lead, had a 10-0 cushion in second-chance points at the half and ended the game up 18-4 in that category. The Bulldogs outdid the Lions on the glass, 44-24, marking Columbia’s worst rebounding margin since going minus-23 in a loss at Vanderbilt in 2019.
“They had more defensive rebounds which means we weren’t getting second chances,” Griffith added. “We outrebounded them on offensive rebounds. We took more shots than they did. We just didn’t capitalize on any second chances. They controlled the glass in terms of us getting any second opportunities.”
First-year Riley Weiss led all Lions and matched Smith with a season-high 18 points. She played 25 minutes off the bench and showed her range by going 5-for-12 from deep. The Lions were 11-for-33 from long range on the day.
“I’ve been challenging that kid every day to be … more competitive than the last day – use your voice, run the floor hard, the little things,” said Griffith on the first-year from Long Island. “It’s undeniable that she can shoot the ball but she’s got to learn how to grow as a player, fully, and I think that’s the thing that you got to see today. She grew up a little bit today.”
Kitty Henderson (12) and Abbey Hsu (10) joined Weiss in double figures scoring but the starting lineup was held to just 26 combined points. Georgia’s starters combined for 41 to go with 32 off the bench.
The first three quarters all seemed to follow a similar script. Columbia clawed back from a 15-6 hole in the first to make it 17-15 by the end of the quarter. Georgia then built a 13-point lead midway through the second before the Lions used a 5-0 flurry, including a buzzer-beating three by Weiss, to get it back to eight at the half. Again, UGA had the better of the first part of the third quarter before Columbia’s furious 13-2 run to take the lead.
Columbia (2-3) will get another crack at an SEC team on Wednesday, remaining in The Bahamas to face Florida (3-1) at 1:30 p.m. ET.
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