Dec. 1, 2003
Game No. 5: Davidson Georgia Tech (3-1) vs. Davidson (2-3) December 2, 2003 * Alexander Memorial Coliseum * Atlanta, Ga. WREK-FM 91.1
Tech Opens Home Slate With Davidson
After opening the season on the road and then traveling to the U.S Virgin Islands for a tournament over the Thanksgiving holiday, Georgia Tech will open its home slate Tuesday evening with a game against Davidson, which is set to tip-off at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on WREK-Radio, 91.1 FM in Atlanta, and on the web at www.wrek.org. Livestats may be found at www.ramblinwreck.com.
Series Notes
This will mark the third time that the Jackets have face the Wildcats, with Georgia Tech tying the series at 1-1 the last time out. In the first game between these two teams, Davidson came to Alexander Memorial Coliseum on December 3, 1997, and shut down the Jackets’ offense, winning by a 90-72 score. Tech retaliated the following year on Davidson’s home court, however, knotting the series by winning 88-70 on November 21, 1998.
Georgia Tech holds a 39-13 record against the Southern Conference, of which Davidson is a member. The Jackets only losing record to a member of the conference is the 3-7 record that they have against Georgia Southern.
Last Time Out for Tech
In the final game of the Paradise Jam, Georgia Tech stopped Southwest Missouri State, 78-71 to keep the Lady Bears from winning the championship outright. The Jackets were led by senior Megan Isom, who turned in a season-high 22-point performance over the Lady Bears, including hitting five-of-ten from three-point range. She also led the team with five rebounds in the game while dishing out three assists. Isom was followed in the scoring column by seniors Fallon Stokes (18 points, four rebounds) and Alex Stewart (15 points, nine assists, four rebounds).
Davidson Preview
The Wildcats are coming off a 70-59 victory over Duquesne in the consolation round of the 2003 odwalla Classic on Saturday night. They were led in the game by Ashley Hallsted, who hit back-to-back threes to help spark a late 16-0 run to give Davidson the win. She was also named to the all-tournament squad for her play as she paced all players with 17 points while picking up three steals in the contest. After using the same lineup for the majority of the year, Davidson coach Annette Watts switched up the starters in the game, giving three players their first start of the season. Hallsted and Courtney Laird are the only Wildcats to start every game this season.
Top threats: Hallsted, 13.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.4 spg, 12-of-20 from beyond the arc; Emily Callahan, 12.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, .471 field goal percentage; Brynn Kelly, 7.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 21-of-24 from the free-throw line; Robyn Flewelling, 4 apg, 14-of-17 from the charity stripe.
Yellow Jacket Injury Update
Georgia Tech senior guard Nina B?rlin has been sidelined indefinitely as she continues to recover from her second knee surgery in two years to repair a torn ACL. B?rlin missed the final 12 games of the 2002 season with a torn ligament in the same left knee and suffered the second tear just two minutes into the season-opener with Charlotte in November, 2002. She underwent a successful surgery and continues to recover at this time.
Tech Hot in Home Openers
Dating back to the 1978-79 season, Georgia Tech is 18-7 in its home openers. From 1974-78, it is not known where the Yellow Jackets’ games were played, but during that time, Tech was 50-52. The first home victory came against Georgia College on November 18, 1978 as the Jackets won, 85-49, while Tech won 67-57 over Charlotte on November 15, 2002 for the last home-opener victory. The last time that Tech lost a home-opener was in 2001 against Kansas State, by a score of 74-70.
Long Time, No See
*Senior guard Lindsey Shade returns to Atlanta with 82 games under her belt. She holds a .311 field goal percentage and has shot 73 percent fromt he charity stripe for the Wildcats. She was a high school teammate of Tech sophomore guard Megan Harpring, as the two played two years together at the Marist School
*Sophomore guard/forward Janelle Crayton returns to her hometown of Atlanta to face the Jackets this evening. A high school teammate of Tech guard Megan Isom, Crayton played in 30 games for the Wildcats last season and all five this year. She and Isom played together just one year at the Paideia School.
*As a side note, forward/center Katie Delk and guard Katie Hamilton return to their hometown to play the Yellow Jackets tonight. A sophomore from Atlanta, Delk played at Pace Academy under the direction of Danielle Ryan. She was named all-city and second-team all-state during her senior year at Pace. A freshman from Lilburn, Hamilton helped lead Parkview High to the 2003 5A state championship this past year. She was the Gwinnett County Player of the Year
We Be Jammin’
Georgia Tech traveled to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, to participate in the Paradise Jam over the Thanksgiving holiday. The Jackets opened the tournament with a 60-53 victory over James Madison, led by senior point guard Alex Stewart. Stewart had 18 points in the contest, along with three steals and two rebounds. Fallon Stokes and April Johnson contributed 12 and 11 points, respectively. The following night, Tech dropped a 75-61 decision to West Virginia. The Mountaineers hurt the Jackets by converting on 7-of-15 from three-point range, including three from senior Kate Bulger. Tech was led by Stokes, who had 19 points and eight rebounds, and sophomore Mallorie Winn (12 points.) The Jackets went into the final game with a 1-1 record against the undefeated Southwest Missouri State, and emerged with a 78-71 victory over the Lady Bears. Senior Megan Isom led the Jackets with 22 points, including five from beyond the arc. Isom and Stokes combined for 28 second-half points in Tech’s come-from-behind victory to force a tie-breaker in determining the tournament winner. Because SMS, West Virginia, and Tech all finished with a 2-1 record, point deferential was the determining factor in the event. Georgia Tech earned a third place finish, and placed two players on the all-tournament team in Stokes and Stewart.
Joseph Begins First Year on Winning Note
Georgia Tech Head Coach MaChelle Joseph began her first season as a head coach with a 73-62 victory at Florida Atlantic. Prior to her promotion, Joseph served two years as an assistant at Tech under Agnus Berenato. Joseph became just the sixth head coach in Georgia Tech’s 29 years of women’s basketball and only the third to win their season opener in their first year. She holds a 3-1 record to open the 2003-04 season.
Stokes Named ACC Co-Player of the Week
Georgia Tech senior Fallon Stokes was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Co-Player of the Week for Women’s Basketball for the week of November 24, 2003. She shared the honor with Duke senior Alana Beard.
The pre-season all-ACC selection recorded her first double-double of the year in a 73-62 road victory over Florida Atlantic University. The senior forward led all Yellow Jacket players with 25 points and 14 rebounds. In the first half of play, Stokes scored 16 points and pulled down 11 boards to give Georgia Tech a 21-point halftime advantage. For the game, the Atlanta, Ga., native was 9-of-14 from the floor, including 7-of-9 from the free throw line.
Jackets Selected Fourth in ACC Preseason Poll
The Yellow Jackets were selected fourth, one spot ahead of their 2002-03 finish, in the preseason Atlantic Coast Conference Poll, which tied for their highest preseason selection ever. Tech’s 1992 team finished fourth in the ACC race after being selected in that spot during the preseason. Duke was picked to finish first in the conference for the fourth consecutive year, earning all 36 first place votes, followed by North Carolina and Virginia. Florida State was picked to finish fifth, followed by NC State and Clemson, with Maryland and Wake Forest rounding out the standings.
Stokes Earns Preseason Honors
Senior Fallon Stokes was named to the five-member preseason all-ACC team, along with Duke’s Alana Beard and Iciss Tillis, Virginia’s Brandi Teamer and Nikita Bell of North Carolina. Stokes was named third-team all-ACC following her junior year.
Jackets Ink Three During Early Signing Period
Georgia Tech signed three high school women’s basketball All-Americans, including a point guard, a guard/forward, and a center, during the early signing period. The 2004 recruiting class was ranked the 5th-best nationally, according to the All Star Girls Report in Thursday’s edition of the USA Today, as Tech inked three of the top-25 players in the country.
The Jackets signed Jillian Ingram, a 5-9 guard from Providence Day School in Charlotte, NC, Daphne Mitchell, a 6-3 center from Woodward Academy in Atlanta, Ga., and Janie Mitchell, a 6-0 guard/forward from Callaway High School in Jackson, Miss.
Ingram and Janie Mitchell will add depth to the Yellow Jacket backcourt, which loses four seniors following the 2003-04 season. A fourth team All-American according to All Star Girls Report, Ingram averaged 18 points, seven rebounds, four steals, and 3.5 assists per game her junior season after breaking the 1,000 point mark her sophomore year. She was tabbed 24th in the nation and rated the 5th-best point guard in the country, according to the All Star Girls Report. A 2003 Street & Smith Honorable Mention All-American, Ingram has been a member of the two-time national champion Team North Carolina in AAU basketball. She was tabbed 26th in the nation, according to the National Roundball Journal while the Blue Star Index ranks her 47th. She was selected NCISAA all-state for the third time in 2003, while earning CISAA all-conference four years in a row.
In addition to Ingram, Tech signed another All Star Girls Report fourth-team All-American in forward/center Daphne Mitchell. Mitchell was named a 2003 Street & Smith Honorable Mention All-American and tabbed the 25th-best prospect by the All Star Girls Report while averaging 14.3 points, nine rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game her junior season. All Star Girls Report tabbed Mitchell as the No. 3 power forward in the class of 2004. She is the second-leading rebounder in school history, has earned all-region honors two years in a row, and was named the Most Outstanding Player while earning the Coaches Award her junior year.
Fifth-team All-American selection Janie Mitchell will be another power forward addition to the Yellow Jacket frontcourt next season. A year ago, the Street & Smith Honorable Mention All-American averaged 22.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 3 blocks, and 2.5 steals per game en route to earning an All Star Girls Report ranking as the No. 4 power forward in the class of 2004. Her sophomore year, she averaged 20.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2 blocks, and 2.5 assists per game, which earned her 2002 Honorable Mention All-American honors, according to Street & Smith. The All Star Girls Report 39th-best prospect in the nation, Mitchell was tabbed 21st nationally, according Full Court Press, and 54th by the National Roundball Journal, while the Blue Star Index ranked her 57th.
