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| 03-26-2004 | Previous edition: 03-25-2004 |
        
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Printer-friendly version Boilers prepare for Bulldogs’ blinding pace
Assistant Sports Editor Georgia is like most SEC teams — quick and athletic. So when second-seeded Purdue faces the third-seeded Bulldogs on Saturday night in the Sweet 16, it’s going to be forced to try to slow down a team that is more physically gifted. The athletic matchup is something coach Kristy Curry compares to her team’s game earlier in the season against UCLA. "You can’t compare us … by no means do we match up (with Georgia)," Curry said. "We feel like we’re prepared as far as handling their athleticism." Georgia features a pair of starting guards that are among the quickest in the nation. Curry called the Bulldogs’ sophomore guards Alexis Kendrick and Sherill Baker the fastest guard combo that Purdue will face all year. Kendrick averages 4.5 assists per game to go along with her 9.4 points per game. Baker, who averages 11.3 points per game, is disruptive on the defensive end, grabbing three steals a game. To combat the duo and Georgia’s leading scorer, Christi Thomas, the Boilers will try to do what Villanova did to them Tuesday night. The Wildcats’ gameplan was to slow the game down to a more comfortable tempo. Curry said the Boilers will be careful with how much they’ll run with the Bulldogs. "They’re very quick in transition," she said. "We’re going to have to be smart and control the tempo." If and when the Boilermakers get out and run, it may be advantageous for senior forward Shereka Wright. Wright hasn’t had a superior scoring performance yet in the tournament, though a fast-paced game may be conducive to one. "But I think she’s going to do what she’s going to do," Curry said. Though Wright and the Boilers may play an up-and-down game at times, Curry is more concerned with how her team begins the game. In both of the first two rounds, Purdue had slow starts, compared to the rest of the season. The Boilers went into halftime up only five points on 15th-seeded St. Francis (Pa.) and down five points to seventh-seeded Villanova. "Our goal is never to come out slow," Curry said. "If we happen to have a slow start, we’ll just have to handle that." TV Time Purdue and Georgia will tip off at approximately 11:30 Saturday night, shortly after the conclusion of the game between top-seeded Texas and fourth-seeded LSU, which tips off at 9 p.m. on ESPN. If the Boilers win on Saturday, they would play the winner of the Texas-LSU game in Monday night’s Elite Eight action. Purdue’s Sweet 16 game will be aired on ESPN2. Printer-friendly version |
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