Dec. 30, 2012
MIAMI – Junior Dawnn Maye was named Sun & Fun Classic Tournament MVP after leading the Yellow Jackets to a 65-63 win over host FIU in the championship game Sunday night at US Century Bank Arena in Miami.
It is the second time Georgia Tech has won the Sun & Fun Classic. The Yellow Jackets defeated FIU 68-57 in the 2009 tournament. Junior Tyaunna Marshall was also named to the all-tournament team.
Maye had nine points, five assists and two steals playing all 40 minutes against FIU. Maye knocked down two key free throws late to pull Georgia Tech within 63-62 with 2:04 left. Maye had 24 points and six rebounds in Tech’s first round win over Quinnipiac.
Marshall tossed in 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds in only 25 minutes against FIU. She had 13 points and tied her career-high of 14 rebounds against Quinnipiac. Freshman Roddreka Rogers tossed in 11 points, including five of Tech’s first seven points in the second half.
“This was a huge win for our team,” head coach MaChelle Joseph said. “That was an ACC-type game. I am very proud of our ability to fight through adversity on the road and come away with the win.”
FIU began the game hot from the field, building a 24-7 lead nine minutes in. The Panthers shot 46.7 percent from the field over the first nine and a half minutes while holding Georgia Tech to only 25 percent shooting. The Panthers scored 15 of their first 24 points off of GT turnovers.
After the under 12 media timeout, the Yellow Jackets began to find their rhythm and put together a 15-1 run to pull within 25-22 at the 4:40 mark of the first half. Tech held FIU to only one field goal in the final 11:03 of the first half, a Jerica Coley jumper at the 3:06 mark.
The Jackets offense picked up and Tech made 44 percent (13-of-29) first half field goal attempts while the Panthers cooled off, making only 33 percent (8-of-24) from the field in the first half.
The first half difference came at the free throw line where the Panthers converted 21-of-25 attempts in the opening 20 minutes while Tech was 2-of-2 from the stripe.
FIU opened the second half with a 3-pointer by Carmen Miloglav but the Tech defense allowed only one more Panther field goal in the first nine minutes of the half. Maye tied the game at 47 with a free throw at the 11:40 mark and the Jackets took their first lead, 52-50, since the score was 2-0 on an Aaliyah Whiteside 3-pointer at the 9:40 mark.
Georgia Tech earned its largest lead of the day, eight, 60-52, on a Whiteside layup in the paint with 5:18 remaining. The Panthers then reeled off 11 straight points to take a 63-60 lead with 2:11 to go. Maye’s two free throws at 2:04 and then redshirt-junior Jasmine Blain knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner to give the Jackets a 65-63 lead with 47 seconds to play.
The Tech defense stifled the Panther offense on three consecutive possessions in the final 40 seconds. After two Marshall free throws were off the mark with four seconds left, Coley heaved a half-court shot that went off the mark.
The Jackets will return to Atlanta and begin the new year with its first ACC home game of the season on Jan. 3 when the Florida State Seminoles (11-1, 1-0 ACC) come to McCamish Pavilion for a 7 p.m. tip on ESPN3 and WREK 91.1 FM. The Noles defeated Boston College, 76-70, in their ACC opener Dec. 30 in Tallahassee, Fla.
Fans are encouraged to follow Georgia Tech women’s basketball on Twitter, @GTWBB, and like the Yellow Jackets on Facebook, GTWomensBasketball, for an inside look at the program.
2012 FIU Sun & Fun Classic All-Tournament Team
Dawnn Maye, Georgia Tech (MVP)
Tyaunna Marshall, Georgia Tech
Jerica Coley, FIU
Marita Davydova, FIU
Samantha Guastella, Quinnipiac
Deanna Kerkhof, Northeastern
–RamblinWreck.com–
