Georgia Basketball: Lady Bulldogs To Meet Montana In First Round
By Danny Bishop
Khaalidah Miller, Photo Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
The Georgia women’s basketball team secured a No. 4 seed and will meet Big Sky champion and 13th-seeded Montana in NCAA Tournament first round action on Saturday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m. ET in Spokane, Washington.
The bid was Georgia’s 30th in 32 editions of the “Big Dance” since women’s basketball became an NCAA sanctioned sport in the 1981-82 season. The Lady Bulldogs’ tally of tournament berths ranks second nationally. Georgia was one of seven Southeastern Conference teams selected.
“I talked to our players a lot the last three days about not falling into a routine and not taking things for granted,” said head coach Andy Landers. “This is not a birth rite – it’s a byproduct of being surrounded by good people and doing things the right way and with a level of commitment. That’s why they come to Georgia. Look at this senior class – they’ve got four NCAA Tournaments now, they’ve done what they need to do to be successful. It’s special.”
In the other Saturday first-round meeting in Spokane, No. 5 Iowa State will take on the host and No. 12 Gonzaga, with the two winners meeting in the second round for the right to advance to the Spokane Regional.
The Lady Bulldogs (25-6) have faced Montana (24-7) once before – a 74-46 win on March 18, 2000, also in NCAA Tournament first round action. The Lady Griz earned the automatic bid with a 56-43 win over Northern Colorado in the Big Sky championship on March 16 at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, Mont. It marks the 20th all-time tournament appearance for Montana.
In its 30 postseason appearances, Georgia has reached the “Sweet 16” 19 times, the “Elite Eight” 10 times, and the Final Four five times. The Lady Bulldogs finished as the NCAA runner-up in both 1985 and 1996. Georgia is a four-seed for the fourth time in history and the second straight. In addition to 2012, the Lady Dogs were seeded No. 4 in 1982 and 1988.
For ticket information, call the UGA Athletic Association ticket office at 1-877-542-1231.