Jan. 24, 2012
The Georgia Tech women’s basketball team (14-6, 4-3 ACC) will try to get more than one game over .500 in Atlantic Coast Conference play for the first time this season when it hosts the Virginia Cavaliers (15-6, 3-4 ACC) in a 7 p.m. contest Wednesday night at the Arena at Gwinnett.
The Yellow Jackets dismantled the Florida State Seminoles, 79-55, in their last outing and cracked into the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll at No. 24 this week. It is the second time this season Tech has been ranked in the coaches poll. Tech was impressive offensively against the Noles, finishing with 79 points on 55 percent shooting. Sophomore Tyaunna Marshall led the Jackets with 22 points on 11-of-13 shooting in only 29 minutes. Senior center Sasha Goodlett added 15 points and seven boards for Tech.
Virginia toppled Boston College, 69-58, in its last outing Saturday night in Charlottesville. Sophomore guard Ataira Franklin led four Cavaliers in double digits with 21 points.
While the `Hoos own an all-time series edge over the Jackets, Tech has won the last three times the sides have met in Atlanta and eight of the last 12 Tech home games in the series. Last season, Marshall led Tech to a 68-48 win with 16 points, six rebounds and five assists.
`Hoos At Home: Georgia Tech has beaten Virginia three consecutive times when they met in Atlanta (the last loss to the Wahoos at home came in 2005). Tech has also beaten the Cavs in eight of the last 12 games played at home. The Yellow Jackets’ average margin of victory in those eight games is 16.6. Tech has won by double digits in all but two of those games, including twice winning by 24 (including last season) and once by 31 (Jan. 10, 2002).
Handy Helpers: Sophomore Dawnn Maye (4th, 4.2) and senior Metra Walthour (5th, 4.2) are the only pair of teammates to rank in the top five in assists per game in the ACC in all games.
Getting Good: Senior Sasha Goodlett is one of only three players to rank in the top 10 in the ACC in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. Goodlett is sixth in scoring (15.5 ppg), 10th in rebounding (7.2) and fifth in blocked shots (1.6). North Carolina’s Chay Shegog and Duke’s Elizabeth Williams are the other two.
Tech Against The ACC: Georgia Tech owns a 156-308 (.336) all-time regular season record against the Atlantic Coast Conference. Head Coach MaChelle Joseph is 56-65 in ACC games.
