Georgia women win again, beat No. 11 Kentucky in Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Georgia Lady Bulldogs are starting to make a habit of this.

For the second time in six days, Georgia knocked off a top-25 opponent, holding on for a 72-67 victory over No. 11 Kentucky on Saturday at Historic Memorial Gymnasium in a performance that looked less like a fluke and more like a team announcing itself.

The win lifted Georgia to 18-3 overall, its best start since the 2017-18 season, and extended the Lady Bulldogs’ winning streak to three straight SEC games. It also marked the first time since 2011 that Georgia has defeated two ranked opponents in the same week, coming on the heels of last Sunday’s 82-59 win over No. 16 Ole Miss.

This one, though, was a grind.

Georgia led for nearly the entire afternoon — 36 minutes in all — and built a lead as large as 12 points in the second quarter, but Kentucky never went quietly. The Wildcats kept pressing, kept cutting into the margin, and kept the game uncomfortable right down to the final minutes.

Georgia kept answering.

Dani Carnegie and Rylie Theuerkauf led the way with 19 points apiece. For Theuerkauf, it was her best SEC scoring performance of the season, and it came in a building where points are usually hard to come by for visitors.

Mia Woolfolk delivered one of her most complete games of the season, recording her first double-double with 11 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Her presence inside helped Georgia control the glass, as the Lady Bulldogs outrebounded Kentucky 40-34 and limited second-chance opportunities.

Just as important was how clean Georgia played.

The Lady Bulldogs committed only nine turnovers, a number that told much of the story against a Kentucky team that thrives on turning mistakes into momentum. Instead, Georgia dictated the tempo, valued possessions and made the Wildcats work for everything they got.

Still, it was anything but comfortable late.

Kentucky made one last push in the fourth quarter, trimming the deficit and putting pressure on every Georgia possession. Each time, the Lady Bulldogs found a response — a basket, a defensive stop, a rebound in traffic — the kinds of plays that don’t always show up in the box score but decide games like this.

When the final horn sounded, Georgia had secured one of its most impressive road wins in years.

Now comes another test.

Georgia will return home to host No. 23 Alabama on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. inside Stegeman Coliseum, with a chance to keep a remarkable stretch going — and to continue proving that this isn’t just a hot week, but the emergence of something more.