Jan 26, 2003
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) – Christi Thomas had 18 points and 12 rebounds and made sixfree throws in the final 40 seconds as No. 24 Georgia defeated Kentucky 71-56Sunday.
Alexis Kendrick had 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead theLady Dogs (14-4, 5-0 SEC), who won their eighth straight despite shooting 35percent.
Sara Potts scored 18 to lead Kentucky (9-8, 2-3), and Rita Adams had 14. TheWildcats shot 40 percent and committed 24 turnovers.
Georgia took a 12-2 lead after three minutes, and a 3-pointer from Mary BethLycett made it 26-11. The Lady Dogs were shooting 60 percent at the time, butthey made just 26 percent the rest of the way.
When Sara Potts hit a 3-pointer with 1:58 left in the half, the Wildcats hadclosed within eight. But Georgia guards Sherill Baker and Kendrick finished thehalf with seven unanswered points to give the Lady Dogs a 41-26 lead.
Twice Georgia pushed it to 17 points, the last time at 55-38 afterKendrick’s 3-pointer with 12:45 to play. But the Wildcats stayed in it, andRacquel Ellis’s two free throws cut it to single digits with 3:11 left.
Jenerrie Humphrey’s three-point play with 45.3 seconds left narrowed the gapto 65-57, but Thomas’ six free throws ended the comeback.
Georgia honored its 1983 Final Four team at halftime, including five-timeOlympian Teresa Edwards and the school’s career scoring leader, Janet Harris.
