@GTWBB Hosts First Round WNIT Game vs. Elon

March 18, 2015

The Georgia Tech women’s basketball team (18-14, 7-9 ACC) hosts Elon (19-12, 11-7 CAA) on Thursday night at 7 p.m. for a first round WNIT game at McCamish Pavilion. It will be the first postseason basketball game on the Flats since 2003.

#5THINGS
– Sophomore Kaela Davis was named First Team All-ACC and the Georgia College Player of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club
– Davis’ 19.4 ppg ranks third in the ACC and she finished first in scoring in conference games with 19.6 ppg.
– Junior Roddreka Rogers scored a career-high 20 points in Tech’s game against Clemson in the ACC Tournament. Rogers averaged a double-double in ACC play with 10.4 ppg and 10.2 rpg.
– Head coach MaChelle Joseph became GT’s all-time winningest coach after the Jackets defeated Clemson on Jan. 4. She has a career record of 231-148.
– This is the 2nd meeting in school history against Elon. Tech won the only meeting in 1999.

a win would…
– Be the 232nd win of Coach Joseph’s career, making her 232-148 overall
– Give Georgia Tech its 607th program win and put Georgia Tech at 607-575 overall over 40 years of women’s basketball
– Give Joseph an 1-0 record against the Phoenix
– Be the fifth-straight win out of the past six games for the Yellow Jackets
– Put the Jackets at 6-3 overall in the WNIT Tournament
– Give the Jackets a 1-0 record in the first round of the WNIT under Joseph
– Put the Jackets at 13-20 overall in the postseason
– Give Joseph a 6-7 overall record in the postseason

WNIT HISTORY
The Georgia Tech women’s basketball team is making its first appearance in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament since 2002 and its fifth appearance overall. In four appearances in the WNIT, the Jackets have gone 5-3. The Yellow Jackets won the 1992 NWIT at the Cal Farley Coliseum in Amarillo, Texas, knocking off Green Bay Wisconsin, Nebraska and Hawaii. This is the third time that Yellow Jackets will host a first round game in the WNIT. Tech hosted first round games in 2000 and 2002. The Jackets played in the WNIT in 1992, 2000, 2001 and 2002. This is the first time under head coach MaChelle Joseph that the Jackets will play in the WNIT.

JOSEPH IN THE POSTSEASON
Georgia Tech’s trip to the WNIT marks head coach MaChelle Joseph’s eighth appearance in the postseason in her 12 years as a head coach. Joseph, who is the all-time winningest coach at Georgia Tech, led the Jackets to seven NCAA Tournaments, including six-straight from the years of 2007-2012. The Yellow Jackets also played in 2014 NCAA Tournament. In 2012, the Jackets made history under Joseph’s direction, advancing to the program’s first-ever Sweet 16. Joseph owns a 5-7 record in the post season and this is her first trip to the WNIT Tournament as a head coach.

#SWARMSTATS
– In 18 wins, Tech has averaged a +17.5 margin of victory
– In 18 of Tech’s 30 games, at least one player has scored 20 points or more. In five games, two Yellow Jackets reached the 20 point mark in the same game, including Tech’s win vs. Clemson (Whiteside -23 and Rogers – 20)
– The Jackets have won the rebounding battle in 23 of their 32 games and tied their opponents in rebounding in one game
– The Jackets are averaging 75.7 points per game when playing at home this season

davis named first team all-acc
Sophomore Kaela Davis has been named to the All-ACC First Team after a stellar sophomore campaign by the ACC’s Blue Ribbon Panel, which consists of media, school representatives and the ACC’s head coaches, and by the ACC’s head coaches. Davis is just the fifth Jacket to earn All-ACC First Team accolades. Davis’ appointment on the All-ACC First Team marks the third-straight year Tech has had someone honored on the first team. Tyaunna Marshall was named All-ACC First Team in both 2013 and 2014. Davis was named to the All-ACC Second Team as a freshman.

THROWBACK to the last time they met
The Yellow Jackets recorded an 85-53 victory against Elon on Nov. 26, 1999 during the Georgia Tech /Atlanta Marriott Northwest Basketball Classic at O’Keefe Gymnasium during the two teams only meeting. Danielle Donehew, who was a senior at the time, scored a team-high 16 points while Niesha Butler scored 15 points and had seven rebounds. The Jackets held Elon to 28.1 percent shooting (12-of-34).

DAVIS SETS SEASON SCORING RECORD
Sophomore Kaela Davis broke the Georgia Tech record for most points scored in a single season after scoring 14 points against UNC in the ACC Tournament. Davis entered the game needing just three points to break former Jacket’s Tyaunna Marshall record of 609 points which she scored as a senior during the 2014-15 season. Davis currently has 621 points and she is just the second Yellow Jacket to score at least 600 points in a single season, joining Marshall on that list. Davis has 1,215 career points which sits at 19th in the Georgia Tech record books.

DAVIS NAMED GEORGIA COLLEGE POY
Sophomore Kaela Davis been named the Georgia Women’s College Player of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. This is the sixth-straight year that a Yellow Jacket has won the award. A Tech player has claimed the honor in seven of the last eight years. Davis’ honor marks the seventh time a Jacket has been named the Georgia Women’s College Player of the Year under head coach MaChelle Joseph.

ACC TOURNAMENT RECAP
The Yellow Jackets are 1-1 in the postseason so far after competing it in the ACC Tournament. The Jackets were the #11 seed and ran past Clemson, 80-53, in the first round. Tech faced #6 seed North Carolina in the second round and fell, 84-64. Aaliyah Whiteside led the Jackets in the tournament averaging 18.0 points per game, which was the fifth-best among players in the tournament, and 3.5 assists per game. Junior Roddreka Rogers recorded a double-double in both games, averaging 15.0 points per game and 12.5 rebounds per game, which was second among tournament participants.

The Yellow Jackets averaged the most 3-pointers made (7.5) in the tournament and had the highest offensive rebound percentage at 47 percent.

RODDREKA ROGER’S REBOUNDS
Junior Roddreka Rogers has pulled down a team-high 318 rebounds this season, which is first on Georgia Tech’s list for most rebounds by a junior. Her 318 rebounds currently sit at third on Georgia Tech’s single-season list behind Bonnie Tate’s 420 rebounds (1976-77) and 333 rebounds (1977-78). Rogers averages 9.9 rebounds per game, 4.0 offensive rebounds per game and 5.9 defensive rebounds per game, which all lead the Jackets.

#SCTop10
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10 plays on March 6 as the number five play. Freshman Antonia Peresson sank a half-court 50 foot buzzer beater at halftime against North Carolina to bring the Jackets within 10 points of UNC’s lead at the half at the ACC Tournament. It was Tech’s first appearance on the popular show this season.

LAST WIN VS. RANKED OPPONENT
Tech’s last win against a ranked opponent came vs. #16/17 Duke, 71-62, at home this season. The win broke a 37-game losing streak to Duke for Tech’s last win against Duke was at home on February 27, 1994, 61-56. It was the Yellow Jackets’ first win against a top-25 opponent since the Jackets defeated No. 13/11 North Carolina on Feb. 6, 2014 last season. Joseph has now won 12 games against ranked opponents in her career. The Yellow Jackets held Duke to a season-low 19 points in the first half and held them to a 20.6 shooting percentage (7-for-34).

HISTORIC WIN
The Yellow Jackets most recently upset #16/17 Duke, 71-62, at home. The win broke a 37-game losing streak to Duke for Tech’s last win against Duke was at home on February 27, 1994, 61-56. It was the Yellow Jackets’ first win against a top-25 opponent since the Jackets defeated No. 13/11 North Carolina on Feb. 6, 2014 last season. Joseph has now won 12 games against ranked opponents in her career. The Yellow Jackets held Duke to a season-low 19 points in the first half and held them to a 20.6 shooting percentage.

ACC LEADERS
Sophomore Kaela Davis finished the ACC season as the leading scorer in conference games, averaging 19.2 ppg. The Yellow Jackets have two players in the top 20 of scoring in conference games. Davis checks in at number one, while junior Aaliyah Whiteside was 17th with her 14.4 points per game average. In rebounding, junior Roddreka Rogers averaged10.2 boards per game against conference opponents, which was fifth.

The Yellow Jackets rank fourth in scoring offense in ACC games, averaging 68.3 points per game. Tech is hitting the offensive boards hard, averaging 16.8 offensive rebounds a game, which is third in conference games. They rank third in offensive rebound percentage with 41.5 percent.

davis’ 20+ games
So far this season, sophomore Kaela Davis has scored at least 20 points in 14 of 32 games. Davis is third in the ACC among active players with 14 20 point games this season. She has 28 career 20 point games and the Jackets are 20-8 when Davis scores at least 20 points. This season the Jackets are 10-4 when Davis scores at least 20. She has recorded 20 point games against eight top-25 opponents.