Jan. 18, 2007
ATLANTA – The Yellow Jackets (11-6, 2-2) head back to North Carolina for the second time in a week to face the No. 2 Tar Heels (20-0, 4-0) at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Jackets, who are facing a top-three team for the third time in 16 days, fell to the Heels on Jan. 2 and lost a road match to top-ranked Duke on Jan. 10.
North Carolina leads the all-time series with Georgia Tech 46-and-11, defeating the Jackets 69-57 at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum in Atlanta on Jan. 2. Tech has been the only team this season to hold UNC’s high-powered offense to under 70 points and, led the Heels for the entire first half. The 12-point win for the Tar Heels is their lowest scoring margin in conference play this year and second lowest of the season. North Carolina defeated sixth-ranked Connecticut in Chapel Hill, N.C. on Monday, Jan.15, by six. Georgia Tech was also the only team to out rebound the Heels through 20 games this season.
Tech’s leading scorer in the loss to North Carolina was sophomore Jacqua Williams with 14 points and, tied Chioma Nnamaka with a team-high six rebounds.
Tech’s last trip to Chapel Hill was a year ago on Jan. 18, 2006 resulting in a 56-85 loss for the Jackets. Five of Tech’s 11 wins over the Heels came in Carmichael Auditorium, North Carolina’s home court. The Jackets’ last defeat of UNC was an 81-62 win on Jan. 17, 2002 in Chapel Hill.
Tech’s last win over a top-ten team was a Dec. 3, 2005 win over No. 6 Georgia, 55-49 in the AMC. Tech has defeated an opponent ranked among the nation’s top five only once, a March 7, 1992, 68-67 win over No. 4/5 Maryland in the ACC Tournament. That Yellow Jacket squad went on to become the NWIT Champions.
The Jackets will have chances to match-up with some of the nation’s best in 2007. Aside from taking on the second-ranked team twice and the nation’s best in Duke, the Jackets will also face the reigning national champions, third-ranked Maryland Terrapins.
Thursday’s match-up will be Tech’s fourth this season with a top-ten team. Tech fell to then No. 8 Georgia on Dec. 3, 2006, 69-59. Tech is 24-and-186 all-time against ranked opponents and 7-and-86 in contests with top-ten teams. Their last win over a top-ten team was in 2005 when they downed No. 6 Georgia.
Junior co-captain and leading Tech rebounder Janie Mitchell is probable for Thursday’s game with a Medial Collateral Ligament sprain in her left knee. Mitchell went down in the first half of the Jan. 4 game with Winston-Salem State after colliding with a defender in the lane.
Live webcast of the game between Georgia Tech and North Carolina is available at www.ACCSelect.com.
