After a blowout win against South Dakota on Monday, Oregon has less than two days until they face No. 3 seeded Georgia in the round of 32 on Wednesday, March 24.

Georgia defeated Drexel, 67-53, in the first round to advance. The Bulldogs had an overall record of 21-6, including notable wins against Arkansas and Alabama during conference play. Despite falling to South Carolina in the SEC Championship, Georgia defeated both Texas A&M and Kentucky prior to the matchup.

Led by SEC Coach of the Year Joni Taylor, the Bulldogs broke into the final Power 10 rankings in Week 16 and are expected to make some noise in the NCAA Tournament this year. These two teams have never met in an NCAA Tournament prior to this game.

Here’s what you need to know about Georgia heading into Wednesday’s matchup. 

The Bulldogs are known for their defense 

‘Defense Travels’. A mantra that’s been within Georgia women’s basketball program for years. Coach Taylor is known for shaping her players into having a defense-first mindset. 

Leading Georgia’s stifling defense is senior guard Que Morrison, the SEC’s 2021 Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Morrison led all SEC players with 33 steals in conference play and is Georgia’s catalyst on the defensive end. Oregon can expect constant, hard-nosed ball pressure from the Bulldogs on Wednesday. 

Morrison can also play the other side of the ball — she nearly reached a triple-double against Drexel with 12 rebounds, 11 points and eight assists, to go along with three steals.

Oregon head coach Kelly Graves said the team worked specifically on fundamentals before coming to San Antonio. The Ducks will need to be solid, especially in the ball handling department, to escape Georgia’s suffocating defense. 

“A team like Georgia who pressures the basketball, plays hard for 94-feet for 40 minutes, I really like them,” Graves said. 

Jenna Staiti will cause problems down low 

Against South Dakota, Oregon was able to solidify position down low with ease through 6-foot-7 Sedona Prince and 6-foot-5 Nyara Sabally. Against Georgia, that might not be as easy. 

A bulk of Georgia’s offense runs through Jenna Staiti, a 6-foot-4 redshirt senior who led the SEC this season in blocked shots. Oregon may have a height advance, but Staiti’s presence on the block can’t be ignored. 

A back-to-the-basket force, Staiti keeps the ball high and uses her size and strength to power her way down the block. The Georgia native averaged 14.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.2 blocked shots per game this season. In its win against Drexel, the All-SEC Second Team honoree scored 19 second-half points to lead the Bulldogs after not starting in the first half due to undisclosed reasons. 

Oregon will have to use its height against Staiti’s strength in the post and limit her impact on the boards, especially on the offensive glass. On offense, the Ducks will have to be smart about how they attack the rim with her defensive presence in the paint. 

Georgia has options

The Bulldogs went 26 straight games with the same starters, four of whom are seniors — Staiti, Morrison, Gabby Connally, Maya Caldwell and Jordan Isaacs. Before the opening tip against Drexel, Mikayla Coombs and Malury Bates got the nod to start in place of Staiti (undisclosed) and Connally (ankle). 

Georgia has one of the deepest rosters in the SEC. Taylor has used 11 or more players in 14 games this past season alone. The Bulldogs have more than a couple of go-to options if one of their starters is injured or in foul trouble. 

“It’s just a matter of them being mentally ready when their number is called and I’m just so proud of them,” Taylor said. 

For the Ducks, they will have to be ready for whoever Georgia throws at them, and can expect fresh legs throughout the game. Besides Oregon’sstarters, Taylor Chavez and Sydney Parrish were the only other players that saw the floor for more than 12 minutes. If the starters make up a bulk of the minutes as they did against South Dakota, they must avoid getting out-ran and out-hustled by the Bulldogs’ deep rotation. 

Follow Carly on Twitter @carlyebisuya as she continues coverage of Oregon throughout the NCAA Tournament.