Nov. 13, 2002
ATLANTA — The Georgia Tech women’s basketball team will begin its 2002-03 campaign in earnest on Friday by hosting Charlotte in the first round of the Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament, with tip-off slated for 8 p.m. at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
Tickets are priced at $5 for adults and $3 for youths, with the first 1,000 fans in attendance receiving free Buzz bobblehead dolls.
The game will mark the first appearance for the Yellow Jackets in the Preseason WNIT, although Tech has made three-straight trips to the postseason event. The tournament features an outstanding 16-team field with 12 of the teams coming off postseason appearances a year ago. The winner of the game between the Yellow Jackets and 49ers will face the winner of the game between fifth-ranked Kansas State and Ball State on Sunday, Nov. 17, at a site to be determined.
“I’m really excited to start the season, especially in the Preseason WNIT,” said Tech head coach Agnus Berenato. “We’re very optimistic about the game and the upcoming season. It’s also unique because it is another first for our program in that this is the first time we’ve been in the tournament and it is an honor to have been selected to play with so many great teams. It’s also different to be starting the season a week before everybody else. It has been great working with this team in the preseason and we feel like we have a great deal of potential.”
The Yellow Jackets welcome back three starters and eight letterwinners from the 2002 team, which finished with a 15-14 record and earned its third-straight postseason berth. Heading up the list of returnees is senior center Sonja Mallory, who earned second-team All-ACC honors after leading the team in scoring (14.1), rebounding (8.0) and blocked shots (2.0) a year ago. Mallory will be joined on the front line by junior forward Fallon Stokes, who emerged as a solid scoring threat for Tech a year ago, averaging 10 points and 4.9 rebounds, while earning a starting spot in the team’s final 16 games.
Senior guard Nina B?rlin will have to wait before rejoining the starting lineup, as she continues to rehabilitate a broken hand, which she suffered on the second day of practice. B?rlin, who is expected to return in the next two weeks, averaged 8.3 points and 7.9 assists per game before missing the team’s final 12 games with a knee injury.
The game with Charlotte will also mark the debut of the most-highly-touted freshman class in program history. WBCA and McDonald’s All-American forward Kasha Terry, who is expected to be a part of the Yellow Jackets’ starting lineup on Friday, heads up the group. Also in the class are forwards Ashley Guerrant, April Johnson, Cheytoria Phillips and Jessica Williams, along with guards Megan Harpring and Mallorie Winn.
“We know the freshmen are going to play for us this year and I know that they are excited for the season to start,” said Berenato. “It seems like we just started practice and now the first game is here and we have to be ready to play. I told the team that tomorrow’s practice is very important because it’s really a dress rehearsal for the first game.”
Full Preseason WNIT results and information are available at www.womensnit.com, with live stats of Georgia Tech’s game with Charlotte being provided at www.ramblinwreck.com.
