Official Site of the Southeastern Conference

ORANGE BEACH, Ala.-----No. 14 South Carolina scored two goals in the final 10 minutes to earn a 3-2 win over No. 19 Georgia in the first round of the SEC Tournament Wednesday at the Orange Beach Sportsplex.

The Bulldogs (14-5-1), who never trailed the first 80 minutes, allowed the equalizer off the foot of South Carolina’s Kayla Grimsley at the 80:20 mark, then fell behind on a goal by Kortney Rhoades with just 1:41 left in regulation.

After advancing to the finals of the SEC Tournament in each of the last two seasons, fifth-seeded Georgia was eliminated in the first round for the first time since 2006.

"It was a tremendous effort by both teams," Georgia head coach Patrick Baker said. "In the second half we were weathering some pressure and trying to hold on. With 10 minutes to go and you are ahead by one, you have to take care of the ball and take care of certain elements of the game. We just didn’t do that. When Grimsley score the equalizer, the momentum had already been gained just through their play. We gave them chances and they took full advantage of that.

"We haven’t lost back-to-back games all year, and if we make postseason play, we need to remember this feeling," Baker added. "It’s been a long time since we’ve had to head home after the first game, but that is what we have to do."

Georgia struck early on a goal by senior All-SEC Carrie Patterson that was assisted by Rebekah Perry and Ashley Miller just over four minutes into the game. It was Patterson’s first career goal in the SEC Tournament, and the Bulldogs became just the third team to score first on South Carolina this season.

The Gamecocks (16-3-1) had a chance to pull even just two minutes later on a penalty kick by Kim Miller. Miller tried to sneak the ball into the left side of the net, but Michelle Betos dove to her right and swatted it away.

South Carolina found the equalizer in the 12th minute on a goal by Brooke Jacobs. After a couple of headers, Georgia was unable to get the ball out of the 18-yard box, and South Carolina took advantage.

The Bulldogs regained the lead 2-1 on a set piece goal by Kelli Corless in the 29th minute. On a corner kick, Bailey Powell shielded the South Carolina defender and the ball bent into the back of the net.

Fifteen minutes into the second half, South Carolina nearly evened the score when the Gamecocks countered a Georgia attack and took the ball the length of the field. Rhoads had a one-on-one with Betos, but Betos came up with the save to keep the lead intact.

After several missed chances, South Carolina capitalized in the closing minutes to earn its second victory over Georgia in the last 12 meetings dating back to 1999. It was the first time Georgia lost a game this season in which it led during the second half.

"It’s one loss, but it hurts obviously," Patterson said. "We have to move on from this and get ready for the next game. This is our last chance to do anything."

Georgia will now await its NCAA Tournament destination. The 16 regional sites and NCAA Tournament field will be announced Monday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPNews.