Dec. 9, 2005
ATLANTA – Junior Stephanie Higgs scored a season-high 22 points and sophomore Janie Mitchell recorded her second career double-double as Georgia Tech (6-1) stopped San Diego (3-5), 56-51, Friday night at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
Amanda Rego’s three-point attempt with just over 14 seconds remaining fell just off the right side of the rim, and San Diego was forced to foul with 11 seconds left in the game, setting up a pair of converted free-throws by Mitchell to give the Yellow Jackets the five-point difference at the end of the game.
Higgs scored 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field, breaking her previous season-high of 17 points, which she set against Charleston in the third game of the season. Mitchell recorded the second double-double of her career (with both coming this season) with 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds against the Toreros.
After trailing by 15 points at the half, the Toreros pulled within six on a layup by Sabine Loewe with 7:39 remaining in the game. Mitchell then hit a layup at 7:07, making the score 50-42 in favor of the Jackets, and Tech stretched the lead to 10 points over four minutes later, when Jill Ingram stole the ball from Tiara Harris at halfcourt and converted on a fast-break layup at 2:36.
Tech shot 43.4 percent from the field in the game while holding San Diego to 33.3 percent. The Jackets also out-rebounded the Toreros, 44-26, including pulling down 19 offensive boards.
The Jackets held the Toreros to just 14 first-half points on 23.1 percent shooting to control the game, taking a 29-14 lead into the locker room at the half. Higgs and Mitchell scored nine points apiece while Mitchell also pulled down a team-high six rebounds in the frame. Tech shot 48 percent in the half, including 60 percent from beyond the three-point arc, and out-rebounded the Toreros, 21-12.
Loewe led San Diego with 12 points, while Ashley Voisinet scored 11 for the Toreros.
Georgia Tech will take a week off for final exams before hosting Tulsa Sunday at 4 p.m. in the first of three games over a five-day span for the Yellow Jackets. The game will be broadcast on the Georgia Tech ISP Sports Radio Network, 91.1 FM in Atlanta, and online at www.wrek.org, while livestats will be available at www.ramblinwreck.com. Following the game against the Hurricanes, Tech will face Longwood on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Troy University Thursday at 12 noon before breaking for the Christmas Holiday.
**Georgia Tech Notes: Senior Megan Harpring missed the first game in her 94-game career at Georgia Tech; Sophomore Chioma Nnamaka was held scoreless for the first time in her career.
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