Ramsey's Steal and Free Throw With 0.7 Remaining Gives Vanderbilt 58-56 Victory Over No. 14 Georgia 2/16/03

Sophomore forward Abi Ramsey remained cool under pressure as she sank two free throws with 0.7 seconds remaining to give the Commodores a 58-56 victory over No. 14 Georgia Sunday afternoon in Memorial Gym. With the game knotted at 56 and the ball in hands of Georgia's freshman Alexis Kendrick, Ramsey stole the ball and raced the length of the court for the game-winning layup only to be fouled by Lycett. Bulldog head Coach Andy Landers called two consecutive timeouts to ice Ramsey. However Ramsey, who came into the game averaging 58 percent from the line, would not be deterred.

The battle between the two SEC East heavyweights was scrappy from the tip. Both teams applied pressure defense which resulted in 46 combined turnovers for the game. Ramsey lead all players with her career-high seven steals.

The Bulldogs were having their way with the Vanderbilt defense early by getting easy looks right at the basket. But Georgia missed on several of their opportunities.

Vanderbilt, on the other hand, hand significant trouble with the Georgia defense. With Georgia defending the passing lanes, the Commodores were forced into 10 turnovers in the first 10 minutes of the game. Senior Ashley McElhiney was responsible for five of the early give-aways.

The Bulldogs entered halftime with a 28-26 advantage.

Opening the second half, each team had different strategies for attacking the opposing defense. Vanderbilt was able to get the ball into the post where junior Jenni Benningfield and senior Chantelle Anderson dominated the half. Anderson finished the game with 16 points.

Georgia’s strategy was to drive the lane and take the ball right at our defense. Both methods worked well as the game remained close throughout with the largest lead being four points.

Georgia’s Sherill Baker, the reigning SEC Player of the Week, was held scoreless until the 35th minute of the game. The points came from a three-pointer that tied the game at 49 with 4:52 remaining. Baker’s only other points were to give Georgia the lead at 53-51.

On the next possession, McElhiney nailed a clutch three-pointer to regain the lead at 54-53. Georgia’s Kendrick answered the shot with her own three-pointer to give the Bulldogs the lead again with 2:20 remaining.
The Commodores tied the game on a layup by Benningfield with 1:20 left on the clock. Benningfield finished with a game-high 17 points and 15 rebounds.
Ramsey’s heroics were all that remained to give Vanderbilt their second victory over a ranked opponent on the year.

Vanderbilt hits the road for a matchup with Florida Sunday night in Gainesville, Fla. at 2 pm CT.