ATHENS – Thank goodness for Tineya Hylton.
That’s what the Lady Bulldogs were saying Thursday night after escaping snowy Arkansas with a 63-62 victory. Hylton’s defensive heroics down the stretch insured that Jenna Staiti’s late three-point play stood up for the much-needed road win. As a result, Georgia’s postseason goals remain intact.
Had the Bulldogs (19-8, 8-7 SEC) lost to the Razorbacks, they also would have fallen behind Arkansas for the sixth seed in next week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville. Instead, Georgia will lock down that spot with a win over Texas A&M in the regular-season finale at 2 p.m. Sunday at Stegeman Coliseum.
If Georgia can get past the Aggies (14-13, 4-11), after a first-round bye and draw the winner of 11th-seeded Alabama vs. 14 seed Auburn on Thursday. That will put the Bulldogs on a path to possibly get third-seeded Tennessee in the tournament’s third round.
“This was a terrific win for us tonight against an excellent Arkansas team,” Georgia coach Joni Taylor said Thursday. “It tells me a lot that we can go on the road and win in a tough environment like this. I’m very proud of our team.”
The victory wouldn’t have happened if Hylton were not on the Bulldogs’ squad. A freshman from Ontario, Canada, Hylton has been at Georgia only since early January. She reclassified academically as 2021 recruit after signing with the Bulldogs in November and was able to enroll for winter semester.
As a result, Hylton was available to come off the bench Thursday night and execute two game-defining plays. She drew a charge on Arkansas’ next-to-last possession of the game. And after the Bulldogs turned the ball back over to the Razorbacks on a five-second turnover off an out-of-bounds play, Hylton stole the ball from Arkansas star Makayla Daniels in the backcourt shortly before the final buzzer to preserve the one-point.
“It means everything, being put in that position to show my potential and also build that trust with the team,” Hylton said in the postgame videoconference. “It felt great to do what I had to do when I got out there.”
Hylton was in the game only because starter Sarah Ashlee Barker fouled out with 10 seconds to play. Taylor didn’t hesitate in turning to Hylton.
“We put her out there because she’s really good defensively and offensively,” Taylor said. “Tineya is somebody who is going to be fun to watch for a long time and you saw a glimpse tonight and snippets of it (before). … This was a great moment for her because it shows if you stay the course and trust the process what happens.”
Now the Bulldogs have to take care of business at home. It will be an emotional day, with seniors such as Staiti and Que Morrison being recognized beforehand in Senior Day ceremonies.
Georgia has proved before this season that it has to be locked in and focused to play well. The Bulldogs dropped some games this season when not playing as impassioned and intently as capable. That’s what happened when they lost to last-place Auburn on Sunday.
Thursday’s game proved Georgia is still capable of great things.
“It showed me that we are still who we think we are,” Taylor said. “We win close games, and we haven’t done that lately. So, for all of us, this was great to be on the road, have a team on their home court tie it with under a minute to go and us figure out a way to win. That’s what we do and that’s what we’ve been able to do in past years.”
Dawg Tags: The AJC presents a daily look at the one thing you need to know about Georgia athletics today.
About the Author
