Women's basketball: No. 20 Georgia controls second half to fight off Texas Tech

It seemed like every time Georgia needed a big play, Que Morrison was there to deliver.

Morrison led the 20th-ranked Bulldogs with 20 points in a 66-56 comeback win over Texas Tech in a Thursday afternoon Big 12/SEC Challenge women's basketball contest at United Supermarkets Arena.

Georgia (7-0) trailed by as many as 10 in the first half but controlled the final two quarters to hold off the upset-minded Lady Raiders, who were playing in front of nearly 6,500 elementary- and middle-school students in attendance for Education Day.

"Obviously a really hard-fought game," Tech coach Krista Gerlich said. "What a great atmosphere. That's the type of play that we are trying to get to. We definitely want to continue to build off of this."

The Bulldogs outscored Tech 41-28 in the second half to remain undefeated. Georgia didn't lead until Morrison hit a jump shot with 6:52 in the third quarter. That capped a 7-0 run for the Bulldogs.

There were four ties before Georgia went into the fourth period up 46-42. Morrison forced a turnover and hit a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

With Tech (6-2) within three points late, Morrison scored on a transition layup following a steal. Gerlich said Georgia's increased pressure in the second half allowed the Bulldogs to get Tech out of rhythm.

The Lady Raiders shot 38.2% and committed eight turnovers after halftime. Georgia scored 13 points off those turnovers.

"They turned up the pressure," Gerlich said. "We knew going into it that it was going to be hard for our guards to get open. And I thought that they turned up the pressure on us. They started trapping some ball screens that we didn't handle very well, so we had some turnovers there."

Tech started the game on a 9-0 run, capped by Taylah Thomas' and-1. The Lady Raiders converted three three-point plays in the opening half.

Georgia didn't score until the 5:58 mark in the first quarter when Malury Bates knocked down a jumper. The Bulldogs got as close as three points, but Tech freshman Chantae Embry had an and-1 just before the buzzer that made it 21-14.

The Lady Raiders pushed the lead to as many as 10 before Georgia scored the final six points of the half. The Bulldogs held Tech to only seven points in the second quarter.

Khadija Faye led the Lady Raiders with 15 points. The 6-foot-4 freshman from Senegal got the start and impressed her coach against the post-heavy Bulldogs. Faye also had seven rebounds, including six on offense, and four blocks.

"I thought more than anything it was a matchup thing," Gerlich said of starting Faye. "And trying, maybe when Ella (Tofaeono) comes in the game, getting a little bit more production from her. I thought that Hadi really countered their post player. (Jenna Staiti) is one of the best players in the country, and I thought that Hadi really stepped up. The very first possession I think (she) blocked (Staiti's) shot and kind of set a tone for us."

Staiti, the team's leading scorer entering the game, finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. Sarah Ashlee Barker and Mikayla Coombs scored 11 and 10, respectively.

Tech's Vivian Gray returned to action and tallied 12 points, six rebounds and a team-high four assists. It was her second game of the season and first since Nov. 19 against Lamar.

Although Gerlich said she doesn't like to take "moral victories," she was proud of the way her team performed against the ranked opponent.

"I think that our kids came out and they competed hard," Gerlich said. "But we're still lacking experience in trying to execute late. … I did think that we defended them fairly well for a while, and then obviously they hit some big shots in the second half."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Georgia controls second half to beat Texas Tech women's basketball