The Georgia Bulldogs flexed their strong defense to restrain Furman in the first quarter and took a 19-6 lead early in the game. Freshman guard Jaelyn Acker displayed her extensive offensive repertoire with 16 points in the first half. Acker’s efficient scoring albeit, Furman walked into the locker room down by sixteen at halftime, 45-29.

The teams traded baskets in the first minute of the second half before the Lady Paladins went on a 13-2 run with two Acker three-pointers and a couple of baskets by Sydney James. This aggressive run helped Furman cut the lead down to five points, with 6:21 remaining in the third quarter.

Unfortunately, the Bulldogs were quick enough to respond as they put together a 14-0 run with 1:56 remaining in the period. Brittany Smith took the helm with back-to-back offensive rebounds and baskets, igniting Georgia’s run. She, later on, led the Bulldogs to victory with 20 points on 9-of-14 shots in 26 minutes.

Acker led the Paladins in scoring with game-high 22 points on 7 of 17 shooting. Acker’s scoring contribution beyond the arc (6-of-12 three-pointers) was of vital importance and foreshadowed better days for Furman. As a 2022 Southern Conference Championship finalist, Furman had only one goal in mind coming into this season: the SoCon title. Nevertheless, injuries troubled the Dins very early in the season and raised questions about how the team would adapt their offensive plan.

Back in late Oct., head coach Jackie Carson announced that junior All-Southern Conference Guard, Tate Walters, suffered a torn Achilles tendon in practice and, therefore, had been sidelined until the end of the season. Walter joined sophomore guard Niveya Henley, who sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament this summer and will likely miss the entire 2022-23 campaign.

As Walter’s severe injury was thought to snatch a back-to-back championship game run away from Furman, we all wondered who would take command of the Paladin offense. Acker seems to fit that role very well for now.

Sydney James and Grace van Rij also tallied a combined 25-point contribution versus UGA. Furman’s offense struggled in the face of Georgia’s strong half-court press, as demonstrated by the Dins’ 21 turnovers and a 32.8-percent field goal.