No. 15 Liberty (17-11) vs. No. 2 Georgia (26-5) 
East Region                                  Friday, 9:30 pm EST
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ATHENS, Georgia (Ticker) -- Georgia opens NCAA Tournament play
at home for the sixth time in seven years when it faces Liberty
in a first-round East Region matchup. 

Georgia (26-5) has won eight of its last nine games, including a
62-60 victory over Vanderbilt on March 4 in the championship
game of the Southeastern Conference tournament.  Kelly Miller's
jumper with less than a second remaining gave the Lady Bulldogs
the victory. 

Twin sisters Coco and Kelly Miller form the backbone of coach
Andy Landers' attack.  Coco Miller averages 15.9 points per game
while Kelly is right behind at 15.8 points. 

The game with Liberty is a rematch of a 1999 first-round NCAA
Tournament contest, won by Georgia, 73-52. 

The Lady Bulldogs never have won an NCAA title, but their best
success has come as a No. 2 seed, finishing as national
runners-up in 1985 and 1996. 

Liberty (17-11) earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament
by defeating Elon, 52-47, in the championship game of the Big
South Conference tournament. The Lady Flames have won five
straight and 10 of their last 11 games. 

Michelle Fricke, who averages 14.5 points, is Liberty's top
scorer.  The Lady Flames have never won an NCAA Tournament game.

The winner will face Wisconsin or Missouri in Sunday's second
round. 

st 03-16-01 11:22 et