February 27, 1999
By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) – Coco Miller scored 27 points as No. 14 Georgiadowned Kentucky 68-62 Saturday night to reach its first Southeastern Conferencetournament championship game since 1993.
The Lady Bulldogs (23-5) will get a third chance at No. 2 Tennessee Sundayfor the tournament title. Tennessee, which beat Georgia easily in both previousmeetings, advanced by beating 24th-ranked Alabama 80-69 in the other semifinal.
Georgia, which has won three SEC tournament championships and been arunner-up three other times, got a bit of revenge for an 80-76 loss at Kentuckyearlier this month.
Kentucky (20-10) looked tired from winning back-to-back games to qualify forits first semifinal appearance since 1992. The Wildcats held the lead threetimes early before Miller took over.
She scored 16 points in the first half, including a 3-pointer from the topof the key that put Georgia ahead for good at 26-25 with 5:19 to go. She addedsix more points down the stretch as the Lady Bulldogs built that to 40-30 athalftime.
Kentucky had trouble holding onto the ball, turning it over 18 times toGeorgia’s 10. The Wildcats got as close as seven only once early in the secondhalf, on LaTonya McDole’s two free throws with 19:18 left at 40-33. Then Millerscored Georgia’s next six points, and the Wildcats never threatened again.
Tiffany Wait scored 19 points for Kentucky, which had three starters in foultrouble for much of the second half.
