It was supposed to be a triumphant day at Memorial Coliseum.

With more than 7,000 in the stands to celebrate girls and women in sports day and the return of many alumni, the stage was set for a Kentucky win.

But No. 13 Georgia didn't get the memo.

The Bulldogs came from 13 points down to upend the eighth-ranked Cats 75-71 on Sunday.

Georgia, which won its third straight, ended Kentucky's streak of home wins at 34 and wins over Southeastern Conference opponents here at 15 in a row.

"We were glad they were back, just real sorry we didn't honor them with a victory," Coach Matthew Mitchell said after the Cats' first home loss in nearly two years.

Georgia made sure of it, outscoring Kentucky 45-31 in the second half behind a career-high 25 points from junior Khaalidah Miller.

Two big runs in the second half had Kentucky on its heels and the Bulldogs sprinting down the floor for easy buckets in transition.

UK was able to regain its composure after a 15-2 Georgia run gave the Bulldogs their first lead, 49-47, on freshman Tiaria Griffin's three-pointer from the right corner.

"I don't know how good we were, but we were tough," Georgia Coach Andy Landers said. "Kentucky's very, very good."

It was the second run, this time 14-4 late in the game, from which Kentucky couldn't come back. The spree included eight points from Miller.

"It was a good day for her and it was a good day for us," Landers said. "When we needed somebody to have a big day, she had it."

Miller had to respond to some adversity, including playing the unfamiliar role of point guard for much of the game against a sometimes smothering UK defense that forced the Bulldogs into a season high-tying 26 turnovers.

What was Miller's first thought when true point guard Jasmine James picked up the fouls that put her on the bench?

"Oh, Lord," the junior guard remembered thinking. "I was really nervous, though. When he said it, I was like, 'Who? Me?'"

A jumper by James with 3:14 to play put the Bulldogs (19-3, 7-2 SEC) up for good. UK missed five of it final six shots and a pair of free throws down the stretch.

Kentucky trailed by three points and had a chance to tie it with 21 seconds to go, but the Cats couldn't convert. The plan was for A'dia Mathies to shoot a three or penetrate and kick out to Jennifer O'Neill or DeNesha Stallworth.

"That was a microcosm of the whole day," Mitchell said. "We weren't aggressive with the basketball when Georgia turned up the heat."

Instead, O'Neill turned the ball over. It was her eighth miscue of the game.

"Just looking at the stats, the amount of turnovers I had is just unacceptable," she said. "That last play today, we had a chance to win or tie the game and it was unsuccessful because I had another turnover, once again. I am definitely taking this (loss) personal."

The sophomore point guard scored 14 of her 18 points in the second half. In the first half, she helped spark a 14-4 run that led to a 21-8 lead.

But Georgia immediately responded with a 10-3 run to cut the Cats' lead to four with 5:08 to play in the first half.

UK scored five unanswered to end the half with a 40-30 lead.

Kentucky's pressure gave Georgia fits in the first half, forcing the Bulldogs into 17 turnovers (five in the first four minutes) before the half, three more than their 14.3 per-game average, third fewest in the SEC.

Mitchell wasn't pleased with his own team's 11 turnovers in the first half, which kept the Cats from expanding their lead.

"We really had a chance to extend our lead and we were very, very sloppy with the ball," he said.

Kentucky (19-3, 7-2) got 18 points apiece from O'Neill and Mathies. Samarie Walker added 12 points and 11 rebounds, but UK was beaten on the boards 40-33.

It was that sort of toughness that drew high praise from both coaches.

"They were in a real tough spots and faced some deficits today that a lot of teams may have folded (against), but they didn't," Mitchell said of the Bulldogs. "They were real tough."

Kentucky at Arkansas

When: Thursday, 8 p.m.

Jennifer Smith: (859) 231-3241 Twitter: @jenheraldleader Blog: ukwomen.bloginky.com