Spring Break
Lady Dogs suffer bitter loss
TYLER ESTEP
Issue date: 3/26/07 Section: Sports
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DALLAS - The Lady Dogs started fast in Sunday night's Sweet 16 game, but Purdue's Katie Gearlds and her game-high 30 points made sure that they didn't finish that way.
Georgia (27-7) led by as much as 13 in the first half, but Purdue came back and cut its halftime lead to one before a 6-0 run to start the second half set the pace for the Boilermakers' 78-65 win.
"We got off to a good start and then they switched from a zone to a man defense," Georgia coach Andy Landers said. "Then when we didn't score, it seemed to take some of the life out of us defensively."
After shooting 54.2 percent in the first half, the Lady Dogs followed with 34.4 percent performance in the final half of play.
Gearlds hit 3-pointers on three separate occasions that squelched what had appeared to be Georgia runs in the making.
"We knew she was going to do it, too," senior Cori Chambers said. "She's just a tough person to guard."
Gearlds' teammate Lindsey Wisdom-Hylton was also a force offensively, scoring 24 and pulling down nine rebounds.
"They did what they do very well," Landers said of the pair of Boilermakers, both who were named to the All-Big Ten first team.
Georgia junior Tasha Humphrey, who missed significant time in the second half with foul trouble, had a team-high 20 points.
The game was the final one for Georgia seniors Janese Hardrick and Cori Chambers. Chambers became Georgia's career leader for games played with Sunday's game.
Sunday's game was the Lady Dogs' fifth straight appearance in the Sweet 16, but they left far from satisfied.
"This wasn't our goal," Chambers said.
"A lot of teams would love to be where we are right now making it to the Sweet 16. I guess it just depends on how you look at it."
Georgia (27-7) led by as much as 13 in the first half, but Purdue came back and cut its halftime lead to one before a 6-0 run to start the second half set the pace for the Boilermakers' 78-65 win.
"We got off to a good start and then they switched from a zone to a man defense," Georgia coach Andy Landers said. "Then when we didn't score, it seemed to take some of the life out of us defensively."
After shooting 54.2 percent in the first half, the Lady Dogs followed with 34.4 percent performance in the final half of play.
Gearlds hit 3-pointers on three separate occasions that squelched what had appeared to be Georgia runs in the making.
"We knew she was going to do it, too," senior Cori Chambers said. "She's just a tough person to guard."
Gearlds' teammate Lindsey Wisdom-Hylton was also a force offensively, scoring 24 and pulling down nine rebounds.
"They did what they do very well," Landers said of the pair of Boilermakers, both who were named to the All-Big Ten first team.
Georgia junior Tasha Humphrey, who missed significant time in the second half with foul trouble, had a team-high 20 points.
The game was the final one for Georgia seniors Janese Hardrick and Cori Chambers. Chambers became Georgia's career leader for games played with Sunday's game.
Sunday's game was the Lady Dogs' fifth straight appearance in the Sweet 16, but they left far from satisfied.
"This wasn't our goal," Chambers said.
"A lot of teams would love to be where we are right now making it to the Sweet 16. I guess it just depends on how you look at it."
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