ATHENS, Ga. — The Georgia Lady Bulldogs opened the 2025-26 women’s basketball season with a win over the Alabama State Hornets, 73-44, on Monday evening. Newcomers helped lead the Lady Bulldogs to victory in a stellar offensive performance.

Fast Facts

• With the win, Georgia leads the series against Alabama State with a 5-0 all time record. This is also the 20th straight season-opening win, dating back to the 2005-2006 season.
• The Lady Bulldogs started with a 17-2 run, finishing with a 63.6% shooting percentage in the first quarter. Mia Woolfolk led the charge with nine points and a rebound.
• Georgia held Alabama State to less than 20 points in the first half, marking the first time since December 28, 2024 against Ohio.
• Newcomers scored 47 points for the Lady Bulldogs. Transfers Dani Carnegie had 14 points, followed by Rylie Theuerkauf 11.
• Alabama State was held to 44 points, the lowest score for a season opener in seven seasons.

 

Team Notes

• Georgia’s 73-44 win over Alabama State marks its 20th straight season-opening win, dating back to the 2005-06 season. The Lady Bulldogs are now 31-2 in season-opening home contests.

• The Lady Dogs held the Hornets to 14 points in the first half. This marks the fewest number of points Georgia has allowed in a half since Dec. 28, 2024.

• Georgia combined for 13 steals, the most steals since the Lady Dogs’ season-opening win over North Carolina Central in 2024. 

• Alabama State was held to 44 points. The last time Georgia held a team to 50 points or less was against Tulsa on November 21, 2024. It is the lowest score for a season opener in seven seasons.

• Lady Bulldogs grabbed 11 more boards than the Hornets with 39. This is the most since 

• Newcomers scored 47 points for the Lady Bulldogs. Transfers Dani Carnegie had 14 points, followed by Rylie Theuerkauf 11.

• Georgia held the Hornets to a 33% shooting percentage, the lowest shooting percentage in a non-conference game since Furman on November November 10, 2024. 

Individual Notes

• Sophomore Mia Woolfolk notched 15 points, marking the fourth time she has scored in double figures in her last five appearances.

• Freshman Zhen Craft scored 8 points and grabbed 4 rebounds and one steal in her first-career start as a Bulldog. 

• Junior Enjulina Gonzalez and sophomore Trinity Turner had four steals apiece. Turner also tied her career-high in assists with six.

 

Quotes

Head Coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson

On the team chemistry on the court…

“Obviously you can tell they enjoy it. We’re just trying to find the perfect combinations– that’s a song by the way– I can’t remember the name of it, but the perfect combinations. I’m glad everybody got a chance to play. The more our newcomers and our freshmen play, the better it’s going to be.”

On sophomore Mia Woolfolk’s improvements since last season…

“Actually, I think Mia should be getting more points, to be honest, but they did a great job of– here’s the thing, when we play scrimmages, they have film on Mia, and doubling her always works. She’s always just got to play bully ball down there. She only played 23 minutes and had 15 points in one of our scrimmages. She played 15 minutes and had 12 points, so she’s a human bucket. We’ve got to get her moving around a little bit more, and that’s why I’m going to be watching film and not celebrating [freshman guard Jocelyn Faison’s] birthday. Just get her moving around so she’s not just getting clobber chopped every single time. She can score, but she’s getting hit every time she goes up there.” 

On building team chemistry with transfers and freshmen…

“Our culture’s in. We have very unselfish kids. It’s not about one or two people’s success. Every night that we played in a scrimmage, somebody else was better. I think that starts with our leaders, but also, I think it really helps that Mia [Woolfolk] doesn’t care who gets the credit. Mia obviously likes to score a lot, and I think that we don’t have anybody on our team that it’s all about me. I think it’s we over me all the time, and so I think that’s super important for this team.”

On if head Coach ABE was happy with tonight’s performance…

“I just wanted it to be over. It’s the first game. I really wanted to see everybody play, and I really wanted us to really pick up our defense, and we did that. Especially the first quarter, because we usually start off slow. In the first quarter, we did a good job. They only scored eight. In the second quarter, only six. That was the biggest thing defensively: ‘How we were going to step up from our last scrimmage?’ We really didn’t play the way we wanted to play, but our defense really picked up, and I think that started with [junior guard Enjulina Gonzalez] and [sophomore guard Trinity Turner.] [Enjulina] is phenomenal defensively on the ball, off the ball. She created a lot of turnovers, and then in our press, Jocelyn, our freshman, did a good job of pressing the ball and creating havoc a little bit. So, I just really wanted to see us pick it up defensively.”

MIA WOOLFOLK | So. | #33

On starting the season…

“It feels great, honestly. We’ve been practicing and working hard all summer for this moment right here and I’m glad that we executed perfectly.”

On the team’s chemistry…

“I think chemistry is great on and off the court and especially with off the court, it does show on the court for us. You can’t do anything better than have chemistry with your teammates.”

RYLIE THEUERKAUF | Jr. | #14

On how it feels to play at Georgia…

“It feels great. I’m so happy I transferred here. It was everything I ever wanted, so between the coaches and the players, I think we did great and executed well today.” 

On building chemistry…

“I would say it is really just being together. I think we made it apparent at the beginning of the summer to always try and be together, get food, just little things and then we just automatically got closer. With eight new girls, it is hard to build a whole new team, but at the same time, we get to build a whole new culture. So whatever we wanted to set is what we got to do. We just wanted a really good culture as a team and that’s what we did.” 

What’s Next

• The Lady Bulldogs will be back in Stegeman Coliseum Thursday, Nov 6., against Furman. The game is available to stream on SECN+, tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.