Jan. 3, 2007
Atlanta – After suffering consecutive losses at home in two hard-fought games, the Yellow Jackets (8-5) are looking to regain their swagger when they host Winston-Salem State (4-13) Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
Tech is coming off a 12-point loss to No. 2 North Carolina Tuesday after leading the Tar Heels for the entire first half. The Jackets out rebounded UNC, 49-to-43, and led by as much as eight midway through the first, but poor shooting and trouble at the free throw line plagued the Jackets down the stretch, seeing their half-time lead dwindle as the Heels took their 16th win of the season, 69-57.
Jacqua Williams paced the Jackets Tuesday with 14 points and six rebounds, followed by Chioma Nnamaka with 13 points and six boards and Stephanie Higgs who scored 12 and came away with a season-best five steals.
The Jackets enter Thursday’s contest with a 6-and-3 home record, falling to No. 11 Georgia, Mississippi State and No. 2 North Carolina at the AMC. The Jackets held a 10-point lead over arch rival Georgia midway through the first half of that game, but ultimately fell by 10. Tech saw a 13-point lead over Mississippi State slip away with just nine minutes to play to lose that game by six.
Thursday’s game will be Winston-Salem’s first meeting with Georgia Tech and their first game of 2007, having not played since a five-point New Year’s Eve loss to the University of South Carolina Aiken. This is the second ACC contest for Winston-Salem in seven days, falling 33-43 to Virginia Tech on Dec. 28, 2006.
The Lady Rams, who are in the second year of a five-year transition from NCAA Division II to Division I, will join the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for the 2007-08 season, but are currently Independent. The Jackets are 20-and-3 all-time against Independent teams and 7-and-0 vs. Division II teams.
The Rams are led by head coach Dee Stokes in her first season at the helm at WSSU, sporting a 54-65 overall record in her fifth season as a head coach. Stokes, who also coached at Winthrop and East Carolina, has never faced Tech head coach MaChelle Joseph.
The game with Winston-Salem will be Tech’s last home game before a two-game road stand with ACC foes Clemson and Duke. The Jackets will return home to face Miami on Monday, Jan. 15.
Tickets for the game, $4 for adults and $2 for children and senior citizens, can be purchased at the door, online or by calling 888-TECH-TIX. Doors open at 6 p.m.
