The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
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Georgia
Georgia upsets third-seeded Women's Basketball, 70-68
03.21.2005 | Women's Basketball
DALLAS (AP) -- Georgia started the season casting doubt on Texas' title hopes. Now the Bulldogs have confirmed it, knocking third-seeded Texas out of the NCAA tournament with a 70-68 victory in the second round Monday night.
Tasha Humphrey scored 26 points and Cori Chambers had 15 to lead sixth-seeded Georgia to its second victory of the season over Texas. Georgia advanced to the round of 16 for the third straight year and the 15th time in 21 appearances.
In doing so, the Bulldogs denied Texas -- a preseason Final Four favorite -- entrance into the tournament's third round for the first time in four years.
Georgia will face the winner of Tuesday night's Duke-Boston College game on Saturday in the Chattanooga Regional semifinals.
Texas' Heather Schreiber tried to win the game with a 3-pointer at the buzzer but the shot hit the corner of rim.
At the start of the season, the Longhorns were ranked No. 2 in the country before playing at Georgia their second game. The Bulldogs, then ranked No. 5, rallied from a 15-point deficit to win 78-64.
But there was no need for a Georgia comeback this time. The Bulldogs (24-9) led for the entire game, holding off a Texas rally in the final 4 minutes to hand the Longhorns their earliest tournament exit since falling in the first round in 2001.
Tiffany Jackson tied her career high with 30 points, but her game-tying attempt with 12 seconds remaining was blocked by Georgia's Rebecca Rowsey.
Moments earlier, Schreiber hit a 3-pointer with 1:26 left to bring Texas (22-9) within two, part of 15-4 run after Texas had trailed by 10.
But the Longhorns' rally came too late. Texas leaned on Jackson in the second half, when the sophomore scored 18 of her points and had nine of her 10 rebounds.
But always there to answer at the other end was Humphrey, who the Longhorns couldn't control for the second time this season. The 6-foot-3 freshman scored 27 points in her first meeting with Texas.
Georgia opened the game by hitting nine of its first 11 shots, mostly from the outside. Chambers scored six points in the first 2 minutes -- all on long, contested jump shots -- and finished the first half with 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting.
With Chambers perfect from the perimeter and Humphrey controlling the paint, the Bulldogs shot 60 percent in the first half and led by as many as 12 points.
Misfiring on close shots cost Texas early, but the Longhorns scored six straight points before halftime to close to 36-30.
