Dec. 15, 2015
Box Score (PDF)
THE FLATS – Senior Roddreka Rogers tallied a career-high 25 points in the Georgia Tech women’s basketball team’s (8-3) 96-48 victory against Prairie View A&M (4-2) on Tuesday night at McCamish Pavilion.
“I’m just really pleased with the way we shared the ball,” head coach MaChelle Joseph said. “I mean 28 assists on 37 field goals says a lot about how unselfish this team is. I hated to have to take Aaliyah Whiteside out with one rebound away from getting to a triple-double but it’s not worth the risk of injury. She’s having such an outstanding senior year. She’s doing it in every area. To have a double-double in points and assists is a tribute to her unselfishness.”
How it Happened
After starting off the game shooting just 2-for-15 from the floor, the Yellow Jackets found their rhythm and went 35-for-51 to record a 48 point victory, 96-48, against Prairie View A&M. Three Yellow Jackets scored in double-figures, led by Rogers’ career-high 25 points. Senior Aaliyah Whiteside recorded her fourth-straight double-double, scoring 14 points and dishing out 11 assists. Graduate student Irene Gari scored 13 points.
The Yellow Jackets struggled on the offensive end during the beginning of the first period but stayed tough on defense, forcing eight turnovers. Tech outscored the Panthers 6-2 over the final 58 seconds of the period to go up 17-10 after the first 10 minutes of play.
The second period followed a different script than the first frame with the Yellow Jackets outscoring the Panthers, 33-19. The Yellow Jackets were led by Tech’s three upperclassmen in the first half for all three hit double digits before halftime. Rogers led the way with 16 points in the first 20 minutes while Gari shot 4-for-5 from the floor on the way to 13 points and Whiteside scored 10 points and handed out six assists in the first half. The three scored 78 percent of Tech’s points in the first half.
Georgia Tech opened up the second half on a 13-4 run and kept the momentum going, outscoring the Panthers 21-11 in the third frame. Rogers scored seven points in the run. The Yellow Jackets held the Panthers to just eight points in the final frame and scored 25 points to record a 96-48 win, the Yellow Jackets’ second game this season scoring at least 90 points.
Rogers Perfect from the Floor
Senior Roddreka Rogers did not miss a field goal against the Panthers, shooting 100 percent (11-for-11) from the floor and sinking three of her four free throw attempts on her way to a career-high 25 points. Rogers’ previous career high was 20 points which she scored against Clemson last season on March 4, 2015 in the ACC Tournament. This was only the second time in her career and second time this season that Rogers has led the team in scoring. Rogers scored 25 points in just 24 minutes of action and grabbed five rebounds.
A Different Double-Double
Senior Aaliyah Whiteside recorded her fourth-straight double-double, but her first career points/assists double-double. Whiteside recorded 14 points while handing out a career-high 11 assists and was one rebound short of recording a triple-double with nine rebounds. Whiteside’s points/assists double-double was the first since Dawnn Maye recorded one against Florida State on Jan. 3, 2013 with 11 points and 12 assists. Whiteside’s 11 assists were the most since Maye handed out 10 against Boston College on March 3, 2013.
Whiteside has now scored in double-figures in 18-straight games dating back to last season. Her double-double was her fourth this season and ninth of her career.
Inside the Box Score
The Yellow Jackets shot a season-best 56.1 (37-for-66) from the floor while handing out a season-high 28 assists against Prairie View A&M. Georgia Tech’s 28 assists rank seventh on Tech’s individual game records. The Yellow Jackets dominated the glass, outrebounding the Panthers 44 to 15. Tech had more offensive rebounds, 20, than the Panthers had total rebounds. Georgia Tech also outscored Prairie View A&M 48-20 in the paint.
Tech Tidbits
- Georgia Tech now leads the all-time series against Prairie View 2-0.
- With the win, the Yellow Jackets are still undefeated at home at 7-0 and are averaging 86.3 points per game when playing on the Flats. In the past three seasons, Tech is 20-1 in nonconference home games.
- Tonight’s victory was the 240th of Coach Joseph’s career. She is now 240-152 in her 13 seasons at the helm of the Yellow Jackets.
- The 33 points the Yellow Jackets scored in the second period tie Tech’s season-high of most points scored in a period. Georgia Tech has scored 33 points in a single period on three separate occasions this season.
- Senior Roddreka Rogers scored a career-high 25 points against Prairie View A&M. Her previous career high was 20 points which she scored against Clemson last season on March 4, 2015 in the ACC Tournament. This was Rogers’ second 20 point game of her career and the first of the season.
- With her 14 points against the Panthers, Whiteside moved up to 20th Georgia Tech’s all-time scoring list with 1,161 career points. She surpassed Milli Martinez (1,158) and is 69 points away from tying Marielle Walker for 19th.
- Whiteside’s 11 assists were a career-best and the most since Dawnn Maye handed out 10 against Boston College on March 3, 2013.
- With five made free throws against Prairie View A&M, Whiteside is now tied for third on the all-time free throws made list with Kisha Ford with 359 career made free throws. She needs one more made free throw to tie LeeAnn Woodhull for second place and 71 more made free throws to tie Joyce Pierce for first.
- Senior Roddreka Rogers ranks ninth on Georgia Tech’s all-time rebounding list after adding five rebounds to her total after today’s game against Prairie View A&M. Rogers, who now has 779 career rebounds, is 22 rebounds away from tying Regina Tate (1988-2002) and LeeAnn Woodhull (1980-83) for seventh with 801.
- Whiteside has scored in double-figures in 18-straight games dating back to last season.
Next Up
The Yellow Jackets wrap up their nonconference home schedule with Alabama on Friday at 7 p.m. The first 500 fans at McCamish will receive a free t-shirt and the winners of Tech’s Jacket 2 Jacket reading program will be honored in-game. Georgia Tech’s Jacket 2 Jacket program is sponsored by Georgia United Credit Union.
