AMES, Iowa — Fortunes didn’t bounce Georgia’s way from the opening possession Sunday in the NCAA Tournament.
It won the tip-off, but Que Morrison’s final game in a Lady Bulldogs’ uniform started with a turnover. Six seconds later, Lexi Donarski hit a 3-pointer and sent a crowd full of energized Iowa State fans into a frenzy. Georgia turned it over on the second possession after Javyn Nicholson threw an errant pass.
Georgia missed its first eight shots, didn’t score in the game’s opening four minutes, 58 seconds and trailed by 11 points in nearly an instant. Slow starts have spoiled numerous opportunities for the Lady Bulldogs this season, but the effects were felt strongest on the tournament stage.
Georgia (21-10) bowed out of the second round in consecutive seasons, falling to Iowa State 67-44.
“I think when they jumped out that quickly, we had a couple of defensive breakdowns that led to turnovers,” guard Mikayla Coombs said. “They’d hit 3s, and it’s hard to trade 3s for 2s. We couldn’t get the ball in the hole. That made it hard to battle back.
After the opening 25 seconds of play when Iowa State relinquished its first lead, Georgia never drew closer and it became too much to overcome.
“I thought we came out really sharp and really focused on defense,” said Iowa State guard Emily Ryan, who scored 15 points. “Lexi got a lot of early steals, and that led to easy buckets for us. I thought that was huge for us to set the tone. and make a statement early.”
Georgia fell short of its first Sweet 16 berth since 2013. The Lady Bulldogs would’ve had a crack at 10th-seeded Creighton in Greensboro, which upset No. 2 Iowa.
“Iowa State is a really, really good team,” Georgia head coach Joni Taylor said. “They did what they do well. We didn’t have an answer for it. They make it really tough. I’m proud of our effort, but we came up short.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Taylor now holds a 3-4 record in NCAA tournament games through her seven-year tenure.
Two nights earlier, Georgia had a dominant look and excelled in what it did best to fly past Dayton in the opening round. But Iowa State opened up in a 2-3 zone, which discombobulated Georgia offensively.
Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly said that his team didn’t play much of the defensive scheme throughout the season, but said it put on a “zone clinic” Sunday. The Cyclones, at times, ran defenses that it never had before, Fennelly said.
Jenna Staiti, also in her final game after a six-year college career, led Georgia with 16 points and nine rebounds. Morrison scored 10.
Georgia’s offense involved plenty of work in a half-court set, which isn’t the team’s strong suit. When it did have a chance to run in transition, it took mid-range jumpers rather than consistently driving towards the basket.
Iowa State hit nine 3-pointers, compared to a 4-of-14 clip for Georgia. Donarski led the Cyclones with 20 points. Georgia held star Ashley Joens, who scored 38 points against UT-Arlington, in check with only 12 points, but Iowa State got more contributions from its supporting cast.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Defensively, Georgia went under numerous screens and allowed open 3-point looks for Iowa State. The Cyclones shot 37%, but forced 15 Georgia turnovers and scored 19 points off of those miscues.
The Cyclones only had seven more rebounds, two more shot attempts and Georgia only shot six percentage points lower (31%). The poor start, miscues and only two free-throw attempts proved too much to overcome.
“Turnovers,” Taylor said on what got away from Georgia. “We had miscommunication and they had wide open 3s. They are really good, stretch you and everybody shoots the 3. They’ve got an All-American on their roster (Joens). Every time we chipped into it, they made a big play. We have to give them credit. They were on their home floor, and we didn’t make enough 3s.”
In search of a deeper postseason run, Georgia loses Staiti and Morrison. The other seniors, Coombs and Malury Bates, have the option to use an extra year of eligibility. Georgia could also welcome back Maori Davenport, who elected to sit out during the 2021-22 season for personal reasons.
“It’s devastating we haven’t done it already,” Taylor said. “You don’t come to Georgia to make the NCAA Tournament, but make a deep run. That’s something we have to continue chipping away at. If you look at what we do, who we’ve recruited and continue to bring in, our talent has gotten better every single year.
“You have to replace leadership, and that’s not easy. It’s about staying the course, working at it piece by piece. We’ll learn from some of the things that have deterred us from getting past the second round.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Along with the returners, Georgia’s character-first recruiting approach has resulted in the biggest haul of Taylor’s career. The Lady Bulldogs already have Tineya Hylton in uniform, though she has played sparingly since January with some standout moments. Georgia added Janiah Barker, a five-star and third-ranked prospect nationally, along with four-star Sydney Bowles.
Georgia’s culture is in place, and a bright outlook remains. But once more, a tournament run ends early. Another attempt awaits.
“They’re not going away,” Fennelly said of the Lady Bulldogs.
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