The word “slump” is not generally associated with teams that boast a 14-2 record, but the No. 12 Lady Bulldogs clearly feel the need to regroup after a 30-point defeat at Auburn last Sunday.

After the team’s worst loss since 1999 last Sunday, Georgia (14-2, 1-1 SEC) will travel to Nashville to face the Lady Commodores squad that handed the Bulldogs their worst loss of the 2006-07 season. On the heels of two consecutive road defeats, the Lady Bulldog seniors, who have only lost back-to-back games twice in over three seasons, have tried to get the team ready for Vanderbilt (12-5, 1-1).

“We had a long talk yesterday, and we need to focus on getting our minds right,” senior Rebecca Rowsey said. “We lacked a lot of hustle in the Auburn game, just getting up and down the floor.”

Aside from matters of energy and heart, the Lady Bulldogs will have their collective hands full with a Vanderbilt squad that poses plenty of problems on the floor. The Lady Commodores are led by junior forward Christina Wirth (12.8 ppg), who led Vanderbilt with 21 points in the team’s 81-56 win over the Bulldogs in last year’s SEC Tournament.

Liz Sherwood is the team’s leading scorer, and leads the NCAA with a 71.7 field goal percentage, but has come off of the bench in the Lady Commodores’ last four contests.

Despite Vanderbilt’s talent in the frontcourt, Georgia’s Tasha Humphrey and Angel Robinson have a commanding edge on paper, averaging a combined 28 points and 18 rebounds per game.

However, both are coming off of season-low scoring performances against Auburn, with nine and two points, respectively. Humphrey was limited due to early foul trouble, and Robinson was a paltry 1-9 from the field.

“As a basketball team, we’ve got to step up and take responsibility for our flaws and our weaknesses and correct them,” Humphrey said. One thing is sure – following Georgia’s 30-point loss to Auburn Sunday and a 25-point loss to Vanderbilt in the teams’ last meeting, the Commodores have little chance of catching the Bulldogs unaware.

“Vanderbilt’s a really tenacious team, and they always play with a lot of energy, so we’ve got to come out with that same energy right away or we’ll get into trouble,” Rowsey said.