TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Kara Dunn and Kayla Blackshear combined to score 46 points on Friday, but it wasn’t enough as Georgia Tech fell at No. 22 Florida State, 95-80, in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams. In total, four Yellow Jackets finished in double-figures as Tech fell to 9-4 overall and 0-1 in ACC play.
The teams worked through four lead changes and four ties in the first half as neither team led by more than eight points in the opening 20 minutes. FSU took its largest lead, 21-13, late in the first, but the Yellow Jackets closed the frame with an 8-2 spurt to make it a one possession contest, 23-21. Blackshear came out strong in the second quarter, scoring 10 points as Tech grabbed its first lead off back-to-back buckets from the junior to open the period. The teams would trade buckets with Tech holding the lead until the Seminoles regained control at the 2:39 mark. Rusne Augustinaite would knot the game back at 40-apiece with a triple at 1:29 and the Jackets would trail by one, 43-42, at intermission.
Georgia Tech and Florida State kept it within two possessions in the third until Ta’Niya Latson opened a 57-50 FSU advantage at 5:40. Tech would cut it back to six points twice, but the Seminoles grabbed their first double-digit lead at 1:26 on another Latson bucket and led 69-59 at the end of the third quarter. Dunn and Blackshear worked Tech back to a 69-62 tally to open the fourth, but FSU would steadily pull away in the final period to seal its first ACC win of the season.
Dunn led Tech with 24 points for her fourth game this season with 20 or more points. She was followed offensively by Blackshear with 22 points, Augustinaite with 15 and Tonie Morgan with 13. Augustinaite led Tech in rebounding with seven boards as Tech narrowly lost the battle on the glass, 41-39. Tech shot 43.8 percent (32-73) from the floor, including hitting seven three-pointers.
Latson led all scorers with 30 points on the day. Makayla Timpson added 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Seminoles and O’Mariah Gordon contributed 17 points. FSU shot 50.6 percent (39-77) from the field and outscored Tech in the paint, 54-44.
Georgia Tech returns to action and opens the New Year on Jan. 4, welcoming Virginia to McCamish Pavilion. Tip is slated for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
Competitive Drive Initiative Turn 2
Looking to build on the success of last year’s Competitive Drive Initiative, Georgia Tech, the Georgia Tech Foundation and Georgia Tech athletics are partnering once again for Competitive Drive Initiative Turn 2. Initially launched on Nov. 7, CDI Turn 2 has reached its initial goal of raising $2.5 million in new gifts to the Alexander-Tharpe Fund’s Athletic Scholarship Fund and has a new goal of raising $3 million in new gifts to the A-T Fund by Dec. 31. Georgia Tech and the Georgia Tech Foundation will match eligible gifts to accelerate the impact for Tech athletics and, like last year, not only will gifts to CDI Turn 2 be matched, but so will the contributor’s benefits in the way of A-T Fund giving levels and priority points. To learn more and contribute online, visit atfund.org/turn2.
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