PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Georgia Tech led by eight points at halftime and dominated the second half, outscoring Pitt, 46-25, to seal a 77-48 victory Thursday night in the Petersen Events Center. Four Yellow Jackets finished in double-figures led by Jasmine Carson and Nerea Hermosa with 17 and 16 points, respectively. The win moved Tech to 15-8 overall and 6-6 in ACC play.
How It Happened
Georgia Tech shook off a slow start, trailing by three after the first 10 minutes, and committing five turnovers in the first quarter to outscore the Panthers, 17-6, in the second frame. Francesca Pan handed Tech its first lead of the game, draining a three-pointer with 4:05 on the clock in the first, but Pitt answered with an 8-4 run to lead by three at the break. Four different Jackets connected in the first four minutes of the second quarter, forcing the Panthers to burn a timeout. Carson led the Jackets with six points and Lotta-Maj Lahtinen added three points in the frame as Tech held a 31-23 lead at halftime.
Hermosa opened a 10-point lead for the Jackets in the third quarter before Pitt cut the score to 36-32, forcing Tech to call a timeout with 7:12 on the clock. Out of the timeout, Carson rattled off three consecutive three-pointers to fuel a 22-9 Tech run to close the frame and lead 58-41 entering the fourth quarter. Kierra Fletcher dropped six unanswered points to open the final frame as Tech continued to extend its lead. Sarah Bates completed an old-fashioned three-point play to give Tech a 72-46 advantage as Kondalia Montgomery closed the game going 3-for-4 from the free throw line for the final 77-48 victory.
For the game, Tech shot 43.5 percent (27-62) and 77.3 percent (17-22) from the free throw line. Carson finished with a team-high 17 points, going 5-for-10 from three-point range, and pulled down nine rebounds. Hermosa collected a season-best 16 points, followed by Pan with 11 and Fletcher with 10 points. Tech dominated on the glass, winning the rebounding battle, 43-26, paced by Carson’s nine rebounds. The Jackets scored 41 points off its bench and converted 23 Pitt turnovers into 24 points.
Next Up
Georgia Tech returns to Atlanta on Sunday, Feb. 9 to welcome Wake Forest for the second meeting this season. The Yellow Jackets and Demon Deacons will tipoff in McCamish Pavilion at 2 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the A-T Fund’s Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes, and Athletics Initiative 2020, Georgia Tech athletics’ ongoing $125 million initiative to allow Tech to recruit the nation’s most elite student-athletes, build a better student-athlete once they arrive on The Flats and, ultimately, win! To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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