Lady'Backs can't overcome cold start at Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. – Sophomore Danielle Allen’s 12 points led the Arkansas’ second-half surge, but the 16th-ranked University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs’ commanding halftime lead was too much to overcome as the Lady Razorbacks lost the Southeastern Conference opener, 78-57, at Stegeman Coliseum Thursday night. Arkansas, 9-2 overall, missed its first 12 shots while Georgia’s freshman phenom Tasha Humphrey scored six of the Lady Bulldogs’ opening 12-0 run to take command of the game at the tip. “I felt a little nervous out there,” Allen said of her first SEC start. Along with field goal shooting woes, the Lady’Backs had the tables turned on them with turnovers, committing 15 in the first half on the way to a 36-15 intermission deficit. “We were rushing some of our shots and we just weren’t putting it in the hole,” sophomore Kristin Peoples said. In the second half, Arkansas’ offense settled down and played even with the Lady Bulldogs. After a 21.7% first half from the field, the Lady’Backs hit 55.6% in the second half with only five turnovers for 42 points. “The improvement from the first to the second half shows that we didn’t give up,” head coach Susie Gardner said. “We could have put our tail between our legs and quit, but we didn’t.” Humphrey led all scorers with 24 points and 12 rebounds before she fouled out of the game. Arkansas got 12 points off the bench from Ruby Vaden and 10 from Brittney Vaughn. Georgia, 10-3, had four starters in double figures, with Cori Chambers hitting 17 followed by Alexis Kendrick with 14 and Sherill Baker with 13. Arkansas stays in Athens tonight before traveling on to Cincinnati, Ohio, to face the 5-6 Bearcats on Jan. 2 at 1 p.m. central time at Fifth-Third Arena.