6
Friday. March a, 2007 I The Red a Black
Stakes to return
on Senior Day
By PHILLIP KISUBIKA
pkisubika@randb.com
In recent seasons. Senior
Day has been a time to cele
brate the contributions of
senior players and managers
to the Georgia men's basket
ball season.
This year, the final home
game of the regular season
will carry significant weight
for the Bulldogs, as the team
is on the bubble of getting
into the NCAA tournament.
Also, there is a burden on
the shoulders of one senior.
Last Saturday, Levi Stukes
was excited about the chance
to play one more game at
Stegeman Coliseum.
“My whole college career
has been one to remember,”
he said at the time.
"There’s so much stuff that
I’ve done in college that when
I sit down and think about it.
I’ll be pretty happy with
everything."
Fast forward almost a week
later, and now Stukes is mired
in controversy heading into
Georgia’s (17-11. 8-7 SEC)
matchup with Tennessee (21-
9, 9-6) this Saturday in
Athens.
As reported in the Athens
Banner-Herald Thursday.
Stukes was suspended for
Wednesday's game at
Kentucky, which the Bulldogs
lost 82-70, after he missed a
team weightlifting session
and had a verbal altercation
with a member of the team's
strength and conditioning
staff.
Stukes did practice with
the team on Thursday and
will play in Saturday's game.
Diamond Dogs attempt
to avoid early miscues
Bulldogs want
to strike early
By JAMIE CWALINSKI
jcwalinsk@randb.com
Tuesday night's come-from
behind win against No. 22
Winthrop had some Diamond
Dogs (4-4) deeming it a "defin
ing victory" for a young team.
As satisfying as the rally
was. others saw the outcome
as a chance to learn to avoid
having to rally in the first
place.
‘•(The win) shows we're
resilient, but also that if we
play more up tempo early, we
won’t have to be in this posi
tion,” third baseman Ryan
Peisel said.
A large part of avoiding the
comeback is easy getting
the bats going earlier in the
game.
In their last three contests,
the Diamond Dogs have failed
to score a run in the first five
innings, overshadowed by the
fact that they managed to win
two of them with late runs.
Just two Georgia regulars
are batting over .300. The two
sluggers are outfielders Matt
Cerione at .385 and Jonathan
Wyatt at .321.
Though the offense has
come through later in the
game, the early slumps have
coach David Pemo again tin
kering with the lineup in
preparation for a three-game
home series with USC, which
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MEN'S BASKETBALL
Senior Day
Tennessee (21-9, 9-6 SEC)
vs. Georgia (17-11, 8-7)
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
Where: Stegeman Coliseum
Student Ticket Info: Student
tickets will be sold today at the
UGA Bookstore from 9 a.m. •
4 p.m. and Saturday at Coliseum
Booth 4 from 2 - 4 p.m.
Tickets are $2 each. All sales are
cash only.
University students will be allowed
to purchase a maximum of four
tickets, provided they show four
valid UGA ID cards.
Only student tickets remain
available
He is Georgia’s all-time
leader in 3-pointers made and
attempted, and he has aver
aged 11.9 points per game
over his college career.
On Stukes’ return, junior
guard Sundiata Gaines said,
"He’ll bring some leadership
on the court, and he expands
the game for me ”
Despite the controversy
surrounding Stukes, the fact
remains that it also will be
forward Steve Newman’s final
regular season game.
Newman, the first player
signed by head coach Dennis
Felton when he came to
Georgia, has averaged 5.1
points per game in his four
years in red and black.
Though he has seen a
decrease in his time on the
court, the Orlando, Fla. native
has made some memories this
season, including his heroics
Georgia
sophomore
Nathan
Moreau
pitched in a
loss to
Perdue
earlier this
week
begins today.
As was the case Tuesday,
look for Peisel to be batting
second, shortstop Gordon
Beckham to be at cleanup and
catcher Joey Lewis to
drop to sixth against the
Trojans.
“We (made the move) to
take some pressure off Joey,”
Pemo said Tuesday. "Gordon
brings the most threat of
power. We've got Peisel going,
but he's not a typical four or
five hitter.”
A complete performance
at the plate will be key as the
Diamond Dogs look to gain a
measure of revenge against
the Trojans (10-7), who took
two of three in Los Angeles
last season.
A frequent baseball power
house, USC (like Georgia)
enters the weekend as win
ners of three of the last four
while rebuilding under new
coach and former major
league catcher Chad Kreuter.
Lefty Nathan Moreau (1-0,
0.82 ERA) will take the
hill today, attempting
to extend his dominating
start, as opponents are bat
ting just .091 against him in
two starts.
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LINDY DUGGER TANARUS R . But
A Georgia guard Levi Stukes battles Mississippi State's
Dietric Slater for a loose ball. Stukes will return from a
one-game suspension for Georgia’s game with Tennessee.
Jan. 17 against Arkansas,
when he sank the game-win
ner.
“I’ve had a great four
years,” Newman said “It’s
always been my goal to
play in the (NCAA) tourna
ment. Hopefully we can do
enough to get on the good
side of the tournament’s
Women’s tennis prepares
for Arkansas matchup
The No. 12 Georgia
women’s tennis team (7-0)
will try to continue its stellar
play as they travel to
Fayetteville to take on the
No 45 Arkansas Lady
Razorbacks (6-2) today.
On Wednesday Georgia
put in an inspired effort that
led to an upset over No 6
Georgia Tech, ending a two
match drought against the
Yellow Jackets. The last
thing coach Jeff Wallace
wants is for the team to let
their guard down and over
look Arkansas.
“We can't have a letdown,
that's number one,” Wallace
said. “We’ve got to realize
that now we are in the SEC
race, and we’ve got to get
over there and be mentally
ready to get back out there
to compete and battle.”
Senior Natalie Frazier
and sophomore Monika
Dancevic played through
exhausting matches on
Wednesday, battling back
from early deficits to win.
According to Wallace,
both players experienced
minor injuries, and it
is unclear if they will
play during Friday's dual
match.
"No decision has been
made right now,” Wallace
said. “We've got to just get
there and have our meeting
and see how everyone is
doing and make decisions at
that point.”
After playing Arkansas,
the Lady Bulldogs will finish
a tough stretch of three
matches in five days as they
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To advertise
your worship
services, call:
706-433-30 1 1
SPORTS
selection committee.”
With a win against the Vols
Saturday and two or three
wins in next week's SEC
Tournament in Atlanta, the
Bulldogs still could make it to
the Big Dance.
"(Saturday’s game) is defi
nitely a must win,” Gaines
said.
will travel to Baton Rouge to
take on No. 51 LSU on
Sunday.
Jason Butt
Equestrian team
faces USC again
The undefeated Georgia
equestrian team will be
heading to South Carolina
this Saturday to face the
Gamecocks for the second
time this season.
“In our minds. USC is one
of our top competitors,” said
head coach Meghan Boenig.
Jessica Luton
Georgia hosting
Zone B dive meet
Today Georgia hosts the
three-day NCAA Zone B
Diving Meet at Gabrielsen
Natatorium.
There are five Zone com
petitions going on this week
end, and the top 35 men and
the top 41 women will
advance to the NCAA
Championships. Eight men
and 11 of those women will
come from Zone B.
Today’s and Saturday’s
meets begin at noon and
Sunday's starts at 10 a m.
Staff Reports
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FOOD COURT & MOVIE THEATER L
Macy's • Sears • Belk • JCPenney Jf B
Mon - Sat 10 am-9 pm H|
Sunday 11am -6 pm HRH
3700 Atlanta Highway • Athens, GA 30606
706-549-5470 • georgiasquaremall.com
Tennis begins SEC
play with Ark., LSU
By PARKER MORGAN
pmorgan@randb.com
After defeating many of
the best teams In the nation
during their pre-conference
schedule, the top-ranked
Georgia Bulldogs (10-0)
begin SEC play this week
end with matches against
Arkansas (6-7) today and
No. 20 LSU (6-1) on Sunday.
“The SEC schedule is a
grind,” said assistant coach
Will Glenn. “It’s long and
strenuous, and well keep
working hard at practice.
That’s the best way we know
how to prepare.”
Georgia faces an
Arkansas squad that is
struggling, having dropped
four of its last five matches
including a 1-6 loss at the
hands of No. 23 Tulsa (7-3)
whom Georgia recently
defeated 7-0.
The real test will come
Sunday when the Bulldogs
face off against LSU. The
Tigers bring a talented ros
ter to Athens, having two
doubles teams ranked in the
top 25.
Georgia competed
against LSU’s ranked dou-
ICNNA FINOLAN | Thi Kri. a Bgu a
▲ Freshman Grace Taylor performs her floor routine
during a meet against Auburn.
Gym Dogs trek out,
prepare for UCLA
By MEGAN HARRISON
mharrison@randb.com
In the last road meet of
the regular season, the No. 2
Gym Dogs (10-0-1) are look
ing to see California and hit
all four of the events.
This Sunday, when the
ladies of the blue mats take
to the floor in Los Angeles to
take on No. 6 UCLA (8-4), the
team will try to improve on
inconsistencies that
have plagued the team
recently.
That may be easier to do
with the competition.
According to coach
Suzanne Yoculan, the Bruins
are a team the Oym Dogs are
looking forward to the meet
because the strong competi
tion helps them perform
better.
MEN'S TENNIS
No. 1 Georgia (10-0)
va. Arkansas (6-7),
today, 2:30 p.m
vs. No. 20 LSU (6-1),
Sunday, 1 p.m.
All matches are at the Dan
Magill Tennis Complex.
Admission is free.
bles teams earlier in the
year at the SEC Indoors
with mixed results. John
Isner and Josh Varela
knocked ofT the No. 6 pair
ing of Ken Skupski and
James Cluskey in a dramat
ic comeback, only to fall to
the No. 25 duo of Colt
Gaston and Danny Bryan in
the finals.
Gaston and Bryan beat
Georgia’s No. 5 duo of Matic
Omerzel and Travis
Helgeson to reach the
championship match.
"(LSU’s) definitely a very
tough, physical team,”
Helgeson said. “We’re going
into that match knowing we
can win at each spot, but
also that it’s going to be a
grind at each spot.”
“(UCLA is) healthier and
stronger now,” Yoculan said,
referencing the early season
injuries and problems that
marred the Bruins’ season.
But the meet also is about
Georgia being able to live up
to the potential Yoculan sees
in her team.
If the team can post a
mid-197, then it can drop a
196.1 score from a January
meet which would improve
the RQS for the team and
overtake No. 1 Florida
"If we cannot execute, we
are not the best team in the
nation, and clearly we are No.
2 right now," she said.
Yoculan said the team can
be No.l and win another
championship.
“If anyone’s doubting us
right now, then they are mak
ing a big mistake.”
