THE FLATS – Three Yellow Jackets posted double-figures, but it wasn’t enough as Georgia Tech dropped an 80-62 decision to No. 20 Louisville on Thursday night in McCamish Pavilion.
Louisville (22-6, 11-4 ACC) used a 17-2 run to open a 17-6 lead midway through the first and held a 21-13 lead after the opening 10 minutes. Fueled by 15 points from Sydney Taylor in the second quarter, Louisville led by as many as 17 points after Taylor’s fifth triple of the game with 1:21 to play in the half. Tonie Morgan, who scored 14 points in the first two periods, snapped the run as the Cardinals led 43-28 at halftime.
Inés Noguero came out of halftime draining a three-pointer as Tech (15-13, 6-10 ACC) opened the third quarter with an 8-2 run to slice the score to 45-36 with just under three minutes expired in the period. But Louisville responded hitting four triples over the remainder of the frame to open a 63-40 lead entering the final period. Once again, the Jackets came out on fire to open the frame, stringing together a 14-2 spurt, fueled by 10 points from Kara Dunn, to come within 11, 65-54, with 5:14 to play. But the Cardinals responded and held strong down the stretch for the win.
Dunn led a trio of Yellow Jackets in double-figures with 17 points and was one rebound shy of a double-double with nine boards. Morgan chipped in 16 points, followed by Rusne Augustinaite with 14 points. Tech was strong at the free throw line, converting 16-of-19 attempts for an 84 percent efficiency. But turnovers plagued the Jackets and Louisville was hot from three-point distance, hitting 12 triples in the game.
Taylor led the Cardinals with 31 points, followed by Jayda Curry with 13 points as the only two to finish in double-figures. Taylor finished the game with seven three-pointers.
Georgia Tech hosts its final regular season home game on Sunday, Feb. 25, welcoming Wake Forest. Tech’s senior class will be recognized prior to the 2 p.m. tipoff. Action will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
Kara Dunn postgame press conference
Head coach Nell Fortner postgame press conference
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of the development of Yellow Jackets that thrive academically at the Institute and compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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