@GTWBB Heads to Virginia Tech Thursday

Feb. 3, 2016

STARTING FIVE

1. Georgia Tech hits the road for two-straight games, stopping at Virginia Tech on Thursday at 7 p.m. The game will be on ESPN3 and can be heard on WREK 91.1 with Richard Musterer and former Yellow Jacket Tabitha Turner.
2. This is the 14th all-time meeting between Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have won eight of the nine past meetings, including two-straight and last year’s meeting in Atlanta (79-71).
3. Senior Aaliyah Whiteside leads the ACC with her 21.1 points per game which also is 16th in the nation. She is also Tech’s leading rebounder with 7.3 boards per game, which is eighth in the ACC. She has scored at least 21 points in 15 of 22 games and had four-straight double-doubles this season. She scored her 1,000th career point against Southeastern Louisiana.
4. The Yellow Jackets are shooting 73.6 percent from the free throw line which is second best in the ACC. Whiteside leads the team in free throw percentage with 83.5 percent (147-176). Whiteside’s 147 made free throws are second in the nation and her 176 free throw attempts are third in the NCAA. Whiteside is shooting 84.8 percent (28-33) from the charity stripe when fouled in the final five minutes of the game.
5. Head coach MaChelle Joseph became the all-time winningest coach in Georgia Tech women’s basketball history last year and has a career record of 245-158 and the highest winning percentage in Yellow Jacket history at 61.0 percent. She is currently in her 13th season at the helm of the Jackets and is 90-100 in her career in ACC play.

a win would…
– Be the third straight win against Virginia Tech and put the series at 9-5 in favor of the Jackets.
– Be the fifth straight win for the Jackets in Blacksburg and give the Yellow Jackets a 5-2 advantage when playing on the road against Virginia Tech.
– Give the Yellow Jackets an overall ACC record of 192-342 and an 91-100 record in the ACC under Coach Joseph.
– Be the 246th win of Coach Joseph’s career and give her a 246-158 overall record.
– Give Georgia Tech its 621st program win and put Georgia Tech at 621-585 overall over 41 years of women’s basketball.

whiteside breaks georgia tech’s school record
Senior Aaliyah Whiteside made her 431st free throw of her career against Boston College, breaking Georgia Tech’s school record of career made free throws. Joyce Pierce (1991-93) previously held the record with 430 made free throws. Whiteside began this season ranked 10th on list with 286 but quickly catapulted up the list and currently has made 433 shots from the foul line. Whiteside ranks second in the nation in made free throws and third in attempted free throws this season.
 
“That just shows that she is someone who does the dirty work. She goes in and posts up and gets loose balls, offensive rebounds and put backs. You don’t get fouled that much just on offense. You have to make those things happen with hustle points.” – Coach Jo on Whiteside breaking the all-time free throws made record

Whiteside has also shot up the all-time scoring list. She started off this season with 936 career points. On Nov. 18 she became the 29th Yellow Jacket to score her 1,000th career point. Whiteside has gone from 29th to 11th on GT’s all-time scoring list with her 1,400 career points and is 23 points away from cracking the top 10 and surpassing Kate Brandt’s 1,422 career points for 10th.

the last meeting vs. VIRGINIA TECH
Four Yellow Jackets scored in double figures as Georgia Tech defeated Virginia Tech, 79-71, on Feb. 1 last season in Atlanta. Aaliyah Whiteside led the Jackets with 19 points and five assists while Zaire O’Neil recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Antonia Peresson scored a career-high 17 points, shooting five-for-eight from behind the arc.

VUCKOVIC’S GROWTH
Junior Katarina Vuckovic has had quite the transformation from her sophomore to junior seasons. Vuckovic is averaging 7.6 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game, which are both third on the Jackets. She scored a career-high 20 points at Georgia and has scored in double figures in nine of 22 games. During her first two seasons, she averaged 5.1 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game.

After going scoreless for four-straight games, Vuckovic was back to her old ways at Clemson, scoring 10 points, including two 3-pointers, and grabbing six rebounds. She led the Jackets in rebounding vs. #3 Notre Dame with eight rebounds and led the Yellow Jackets with a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) in a win against Boston College.

super scorer

Senior Aaliyah Whiteside led the Yellow Jackets to victory at Clemson, scoring a career-best 31 points for the second time in five games. She scored 31 points earlier this month on Jan. 7 in a loss at NC State. Whiteside is averaging a league-high 22.6 points per game in ACC contests and a league-high 21.1 points per game overall. Her 21.1 scoring average ranks 16th in the nation and her 464 total points are first in the ACC and 12th in the NCAA. Whiteside is one of two ACC players to record two 30+ games this season.