ATHENS, Ga. – Behind three Yellow Jackets in double-figures, Georgia Tech women’s basketball captured a 55-54 victory over No. 20/19 Georgia in Stegeman Coliseum on Sunday. It marked the second consecutive win in Athens for Georgia Tech and handed the Lady Bulldogs their first loss of the season.
Tech (6-2) trailed by as many as 11 points in the third quarter after Georgia (7-1) opened the frame with an 11-2 run to take a 36-25 lead. But the Jackets trimmed the score to a single possession immediately in the fourth quarter. After the teams traded baskets, Sarah Bates drained a three-pointer to return the lead to Tech for the final time, 49-47, with 3:47 to play in the fourth.
Leading by two, Nerea Hermosa hit a pair of clutch free throws with 8.8 ticks on the clock, to setup a 55-51 tally before Georgia’s Sarah Ashlee Barker cut it to one, 55-54, with 4.5 seconds to go. Georgia got a final shot off, but it was off the mark as the Yellow Jackets sealed its second-ever win in Athens.
Sarah Bates went 2-for-4 from three-point range to help Georgia Tech secure the win. Photo by Brian Savage
To start the game, Eylia Love dominated the opening frame, dropping nine points as the Yellow Jackets claimed a 13-9 edge after the first 10 minutes. But the Lady Bulldogs slowly chipped away at its deficit and outscored Tech in the second quarter to carry a slight 25-23 advantage into halftime. Securing eight rebounds in the first half, Lorela Cubaj joined the elite 1,000-career rebound club, and led the Jackets on the glass who took the battle, 20-14, in the first 20 minutes.
Hermosa and Love led the Jackets offensively, each chipping in 14 points, while Cubaj added 11 to the scoreboard. Tech won the battle on the glass, 44-37, paced by 15 rebounds from Cubaj and eight from Hermosa. For the game, Tech shot 36.8 percent from the field.
Eylia Love finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a block. Photo by Brian Savage
Georgia was led by Que Morrison with 15 points and Jenna Staiti with six rebounds. The Lady Bulldogs shot 35.9 percent from the floor and were limited to a 4-of-6 effort at the free throw line.
The Yellow Jackets return to action on Thursday, Dec. 9, welcoming No. 2 UConn to McCamish Pavilion. Tip is slated for 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
Head coach Nell Fortner virtual media press conference
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets 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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