ATHENS – It may be a long time until March, but Georgia’s women’s basketball team is playing with some madness already.
In the latest stop on a challenging non-conference schedule, the No. 14-ranked Lady Bulldogs (9-1) traveled to Raleigh, N.C., and knocked off No. 2-ranked North Carolina State 82-80 in overtime Thursday night. Georgia got another double-double from Jenna Staiti, Que Morrison added 20 and Sarah Ashlee Barker played hero to snap the Wolfpack’s 10-game winning streak at Reynolds Coliseum.
With their first win ever on the home floor of No. 1- or 2-ranked team, the Bulldogs improved to 9-0 all-time against N.C. State.
“It felt like March, right?” Georgia coach Joni Taylor said. “It felt like March out there. And that’s what we’ve told our team. The schedule that we’re playing, this is what we’re preparing for.”
Down goes No. 2!! Georgia takes town second-ranked NC State, 82-80 in Raleigh! pic.twitter.com/7MgKKUde4V
— Georgia Basketball 🏀🐶 (@UGA_WBB) December 17, 2021
Georgia led by as many as 12 points in the first half, then withstood a furious third-quarter rally from the Wolfpack to snatch away the lead. In the end, there were 13 ties and 11 lead changes.
Trailing 75-72 in the final seconds of regulation, Barker made a 3-pointer with one second to go to send the game into overtime.
“Such a big shot on the road at the No. 2 team in the country’s place,” Staiti said of Barker. “That’s just tough. And a sophomore coming in and doing that. Like, I can’t even imagine what her future is going to look like here. She’s amazing.”
Georgia leaned on its All-SEC seniors Staiti and Morrison in the extra period. Staiti had two points and four rebounds, and Morrison scored the final three points as the Bulldogs outscored the Wolfpack 7-5.
Morrison’s layup at the 1:13 mark gave Georgia an 81-79 lead. Staiti got the rebound after N.C. State’s Kayla Jones missed a second free throw with 52 seconds remaining.
The Bulldogs ended up turning the ball over on a shot-clock violation. But Elissa Canane missed a layup for the Wolfpack with six seconds to go, and Staiti got the rebound again. Morrison made one of the two foul shots for the final margin.
“Winning on the road in a tough environment against the No. 2 team in the country, hopefully it proves to (Georgia’s players), if there was any doubt, that we have an opportunity to be really special,” Taylor said.
Georgia returns home to host St. Francis at 2 p.m. Sunday.
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