CLEMSON, S.C. – No. 19 Georgia Tech rallied back to within single digits in the final quarter, but could not complete the comeback, falling at Clemson, 68-61, on Thursday evening. A trio of Yellow Jackets finished in double-figures, paced by Kara Dunn with 18 points.
Cold shooting in the first half from the Yellow Jackets (20-5, 8-5 ACC) allowed Clemson to gain the halftime lead. Back-to-back triples from Chit-Chat Wright opened the first quarter, but the Tigers quickly took the lead with a 9-0 run. A last second triple from Maddi Cluse to close the frame setup Clemson with a 14-12 edge. The Tigers shot a commanding 82 percent in the second quarter to Tech’s 38 percent and opened a 37-24 advantage with 19 seconds left in the half. Kayla Blackshear hit a layup to send Tech into the locker room trailing, 37-26.
Clemson maintained a lead in the third before Tech rallied back to single digits in the final period. Back-to-back buckets from Tonie Morgan and Zoe Smith brought the Jackets within eight, 62-54, but the Tigers responded. Dani Carnegie dropped in a couple three-pointers in the final 10 minutes, the second cutting the score to 65-57, and Morgan converted a bucket with less than a minute to play, setting up a 66-59 tally, but Georgia Tech could not climb back further, falling on the road.
Dunn scored a team-high 18 points. She was followed in double-figures by Blackshear and Morgan, each with 11 points. Smith led Tech on the glass, securing 12 rebounds, as the Jackets narrowly lost the rebounding battle, 37-36.
For the game, Tech shot 34.3 percent (23-67) from the field to Clemson’s 50.0 percent (26-52). Tessa Miller led Clemson with 18 points. Tech converted 7-of-9 free throw attempts and hit eight three-pointers in the game.
Georgia Tech returns to action, opening its final three-game homestand on Sunday, welcoming Wake Forest for a noon tip inside McCamish Pavilion. The matinee will serve as Georgia Tech’s annual Play4Kay Pink Game and be broadcast on the ACC Network.
PURCHASE TICKETS FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Single-game tickets for the season remain on sale. Single game tickets begin at just $10 for general admission seating and are $12 for reserved seating. Youth pricing begins at $8 per game and are available day of game, while group ticket packages are on sale for 10 or more tickets at $5 per ticket. Please contact the Georgia Tech Athletic Association ticket office for more information on group tickets at tickets@athletics.gatech.edu. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting RamblinWreck.com or by calling the Georgia Tech ticket office at 1-888-TECH-TIX.
GEORGIA TECH WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CELEBRATES 50 YEARS
Georgia Tech is celebrating the 50th anniversary of women’s basketball on The Flats this season. Under the direction of coach Jim Culpepper, Georgia Tech competed its first year in the Georgia Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (GAIAW) in 1974-75 before joining the ACC in 1979-80. Tech has seen many highlights over 50 years, including playing in the NCAA Tournament 11 times, with two Sweet 16 appearances (2012, 2021), and producing nine WNBA draft picks, featuring first round draft picks Alex Montgomery and Sasha Goodlett. In its first postseason berth in school history, Georgia Tech captured the 1992 National Women’s Invitational Tournament. Currently in its sixth season under head coach Nell Fortner, the Yellow Jackets have reach postseason play three times in the last five years.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
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