Jan. 15, 2007
Atlanta – The Georgia Tech defense held the Atlantic Coast Conference’s top scorer, Miami’s Renee Taylor, to only two field goals in a 52-37 win at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum Monday.
Taylor, who entered Monday’s contest averaging 19.8 PPG, was allowed only one first half basket and missed all four of her three-point attempts in the first seeing her squad shoot just 21 percent from the field for the half. Monday’s eight-point scoring total ties Taylor’s season low from a Jan. 10 loss to No. 1 Maryland. Taylor has scored in double digits in every other game this season.
Tech’s first-half performance was in complete contrast to Miami’s. The Jackets shot 50 percent from the field and, held the Canes scoreless until nearly four minutes in when a Maurita Reid lay up cut Tech’s early lead to six.
The Canes came as close as three midway through the first, but consecutive scores by Kentrina Wilson, who was 4-for-6 in the first half, put the Jackets up 10 with 3:45 left in the first. Tech led 31-19 at halftime and never looked back, leading by at least 10 points for the rest of the game.
Sophomore Jacqua Williams gave Tech the biggest lead of the game when she came up with back-to-back three-point plays; a lay up and a foul, then a three-pointer for a 52-28 Tech lead with 3:57 to play. Williams led the Jackets in scoring for the second game this season, finishing with 14 points, six rebounds and a team-high three steals.
The Jackets dominated the boards once again, out rebounding the Canes 51-to-31 and, did so without leading rebounder junior co-captain Janie Mitchell who is listed as probable with a Medial Collateral Ligament sprain. Mitchell was injured in the first half of the Jan. 4 win over Winston-Salem State.
Junior forward Daphne Mitchell led the Jackets in rebounding with 11, while Wilson added 11 points and Chioma Nnamaka finished with 10 points.
Miami’s 37 points Monday is the fewest points scored by a Tech opponent this season and the fewest by an ACC opponent since the Jackets downed Wake Forest, 40-37 on Feb. 6, 2005.
Georgia Tech (11-6, 2-2) travels to Chapel Hill, N.C. for a 7 p.m. tip off with No. 2 North Carolina Thursday, Jan. 18 for their second meeting with the Tarheels this year. Thursday’s game will be Tech’s third test against a top-three team in 16 days, falling to No. 2 North Carolina on Jan. 2 and No. 3 Duke on Jan. 10. Live webcast of the game between North Carolina and Georgia Tech is available at ACCSelect.com
