THE STARTING FIVE…
1. Georgia Tech continues ACC play on Thursday welcoming No. 13/15 Duke, on a nine-game win streak, for a 7 p.m. tip. Fans can listen live on WREK 91.1/WREK.org.
2. Georgia Tech has taken the last two meetings over Duke and seeks to extend its win streak over the Blue Devils to three straight, while notching its first ACC win this season on Thursday. The Yellow Jackets last faced a nationally-ranked Duke two seasons ago.
3. Georgia Tech dropped its first ACC game of the season on Monday, falling to No. 7/6 Notre Dame. The Jackets were hindered by a 24.1 percent shooting efficiency, while the Fighting Irish shot 40.4 percent from the field. Zaire O’Neil led the Jackets with nine points and 13 rebounds.
4. Tech opens the ACC slate facing two of the nation’s top 25 teams right out of the gate. First visiting Atlanta was No. 7/6 Notre Dame before No. 13/15 Duke visits on Thursday. The last time Tech opened the conference slate facing two nationally-ranked foes dates back to 2012-13 when Tech faced No. 4 Duke on Dec. 6 before No. 19/21 FSU Jan. 3.
5. Head coach MaChelle Joseph is in her 14th season on The Flats and carries an all-time career record of 263-165. Joseph is the all-time winningest coach in program history and holds the highest winning percentage in Yellow Jacket history at 61.6 percent.
A WIN WOULD…
-Move Georgia Tech to 12-3 on the season and push its home record to 8-2
-Be the third straight win over Duke, moving the all-time series record to 59-10 in favor of the Blue Devils
-Mark the first win over a top-25 opponent since a 71-62 victory over No. 16/17 Duke on Feb. 26, 2015 in McCamish
-Mark Coach Joseph’s 264th career win at Georgia Tech and give Georgia Tech its 639th all-time program win
LAST TIME THEY MET
Georgia Tech and Duke will meet for the 69th time in program history on Thursday. After snapping a 37-game losing streak to the Blue Devils two seasons ago, the Yellow Jackets captured their second straight victory over the Blue Devils last season in Cameron Indoor Stadium, 64-59. The win marked the first at Duke since 1993. Antonia Peresson poured in 20 points in the win, shooting 6-of-13 from three-point range, while Katarina Vuckovic added 12 points in the victory. Despite the strong performances, Tech only registered a 29.6 percent shooting clip for the game, while Duke was 45.8 percent from the floor.Tech won the rebounding battle, 45-36.
LAST TIME OUT
The Yellow Jackets opened ACC play on Monday facing No. 7/6 Notre Dame for the seventh time in program history. Behind a season-low 24.1 percent shooting clip, Tech dropped a 55-38 decision to the Fighting Irish. It marked the first game this season a player did not score in double-figures as Zaire O’Neil led the Jackets with nine points, nearly missing a double-double with 13 rebounds. Tech never led in the contest. Notre Dame was led in scoring by Arike Ogunbowale with 18 points and Brianna Turner in rebounding with 11 boards. The Irish shot 40.4 percent from the field and finished the game tied on the boards, 40-40.
