Spring Break
Lady Dogs defeated in NCAA opening round
MANIK K. GUPTA
Issue date: 3/23/09 Section: Sports
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The Lady Bulldogs (18-14), seeded 11th, fell in the first round of the 2009 NCAA women's basketball tournament 58-47 to No. 6 seed Arizona State.
The loss marks just the third time Georgia has been defeated in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in the 27-year history of the championship. Georgia's 14 defeats this season are the highest total in Landers' 30 years in Athens.
Behind the play of two-time Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year Briann January, the Sun Devils (24-8) frustrated the offensive rhythm of the Lady Bulldogs by forcing 19 turnovers. The Pac-10's premier defensive team held Georgia to its lowest point total ever in an NCAA Tournament game and did not allow any Lady Bulldogs to score in double figures for the first time in Georgia's NCAA Tournament history.
"We really took away Georgia's inside game which was obviously our game plan," Sun Devil head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. "I thought we just played tremendous team defense."
"I think they hang their hat on their defensive abilities. They were really good there today," Landers said. "They were also very good rebounding the basketball, particularly in the first half. Those two things gave them the advantage and the momentum midway through the first half that they, for the most part, enjoyed for the entire afternoon."
Playing just an hour away from Athens, the Lady Bulldogs figured to have a significant edge over their west coast based opponent. Still, Georgia could not find answers for turnover and rebounding problems that have plagued them for a better part of the season as the Lady Bulldogs trailed for all but 50 seconds.
"Personally, I found Arizona State to be the way that they were on [film] and be the team we prepared for," a disappointed Landers said.
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