Defensive struggle: No. 8 Georgia knocks off No. 3 Tennessee 53-50 in rugged SEC showdown
By Paul Newberry, APThursday, January 21, 2010
No. 8 Georgia knocks off No. 3 Lady Vols
ATHENS, Ga. — Porsha Phillips scored the go-ahead basket off a pass from Ashley Houts with 39 seconds remaining, then added two free throws that clinched No. 8 Georgia’s 53-50 upset of third-ranked Tennessee in a rugged Southeastern Conference showdown Thursday night.
Houts led the Lady Bulldogs (18-1, 5-1) with 12 points and Phillips had 10, but this bruising game was decided at the defensive end. Georgia managed to win even though it missed 16 of its first 19 shots in the second half against the Lady Volunteers (16-2, 4-1).
Tennessee turned the ball over 23 times and couldn’t stop the Lady Dogs from stealing it away at the end. Alyssia Brewer converted a three-point play that put the Lady Vols ahead, but Phillips scored the final four points to give Georgia one of its biggest victories in years.
Glory Johnson scored 14 points for Tennessee, but the Lady Vols took a huge blow when Kelley Cain fouled out with 4:13 left. She picked up her fourth foul, complained about the call and drew a technical that sent her to the sideline for the rest of the night.
Georgia snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Lady Vols, posting its first victory in the series since the 2004 SEC tournament. The Lady Dogs had not beaten Tennessee in Athens in a decade — a 78-51 victory on Jan. 17, 2000.
The home team managed only seven points over the first 15 minutes of the second half, and Tennessee pulled away to a four-point lead that matched the biggest margin for either team all night.
Then, a stunning sequence sent the Lady Dogs into the lead. Houts swished a 3-pointer from the top of the key. At the other end, the senior guard knocked the ball away, broke out ahead of the pack and received a return pass from Jasmine James for a layup that suddenly put Georgia ahead, 42-41.
After Cain put Tennessee back in front with a short hook off the baseline, the 6-foot-6 sophomore — a native of nearby Atlanta — let her temper get the best of her. After being whistled for a foul on Meredith Mitchell as the Georgia player drove the lane, Cain mouthed off to the officials, who tacked on the T.
