Three years ago, with the all-time series record at 28-2, Andy Landers used the occasion of a close win in Athens to remind Georgia Tech where they fell on Georgia’s hierarchy of women’s basketball rivals. The series record remains lopsided, but Sunday’s convincing 69-53 loss at the hands of Tech suggests that the Lady Jackets need to become a much higher priority for Landers’ program. Though the Lady Dogs have managed to hold serve in Athens, they’ve not been as fortunate on the Lady Jackets’ home court:

• Georgia has now dropped three of the last four to Tech in Atlanta.
• They’ve lost the last two in Atlanta by a combined 31 points.
• They haven’t managed more than 53 points in any of the three losses at Tech, averaging 48 points in those games.
• The series record might stand at 29-4, but Georgia is only 5-3 against current Tech coach MaChelle Joseph and is now just 1-3 against Joseph’s teams at Alexander Memorial.

That’s not the tale of a lopsided rivalry. Joseph wasn’t out of line for exclaiming postgame that, “It would be an upset if they beat us here.” That certainly seems to be the takeaway of the last eight years. To say that Georgia still at least maintains the advantage in Athens is a pretty feeble claim in what used to be a one-sided affair on any court.

Georgia isn’t losing to bad Tech teams. Tech has become a consistent NCAA Tournament participant and has knocked off other strong programs like North Carolina and Maryland along the way. But whether it’s a question of Tech’s program elevating or Georgia’s stagnating (or both), the Lady Dogs have to recognize a credible challenge both on the court and on the recruiting trail. Georgia might have had the higher-rated class last year with national recruits Ronkia Ransford and Khaalidah Miller, but it was Tech freshman Ty Marshall who stole the show with a game-high 20 points.