GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands – The first career double-double for Savannah Samuel and 24 fourth-quarter points were not enough to lift Georgia Tech women’s basketball past the Florida Gators, 65-56, Saturday in the final game of the Cayman Islands Classic.
Samuel notched 14 points and a career-high 10 rebounds while leading the team with 34 minutes of action. She was joined in double-digit scoring figures by Talayah Walker (11) and Cayman Islands Classic All-Tournament Team selection Catherine Alben (10).
Alben had 28 points across both games of the Cayman Islands Classic while shooting 39.3% from the floor on a team-best 11 made shots.
Walker neared a double-double with seven rebounds as well as Brianna Turnage with nine points and eight rebounds. She also had three steals Saturday, tying her career-best.
Georgia Tech (3-5, 0-0 ACC) had 12 offensive boards in the first half and finished the day with a season-high 22. The Jackets came in averaging 12 per game this season. The Jackets also limited second-chance points for the Gators (8-1, 0-0 SEC), allowing just four while collecting 20 of their own.
FIRST HALF
The first Tech points came in a game-evening layup from Erica Moon to make it 2-2 early. Moon tied her career-high with rebounds against the Gators. Walker then sank a lay to give Tech a 4-2 lead. Samuel made a second-chance bucket to extend it to 6-2 before the Gators struck with a trey. Alben immediately responded with a quick layup to get the Jackets back up by three, 8-5. Florida took a 9-8 lead then Samuel sank a game-tying free throw, with her second rebounding off into the hands of Turnage who drew a successful and-one play, giving Georgia Tech a 12-9 lead. A couple more makes for each side saw Tech ahead 16-14 at the end of the first.
Alben scored a couple free throws for the first Tech points of the second, responding to a bucket from Florida. A scoring drought of over three minutes for both teams saw the Gators break the 18-18 tie, now at 20-18 with under five left in the half. Walker evened the game at 20 after an assist from Turnage. After a couple Gator treys, Samuel drilled a jumper that got Tech within four, 28-24, at the break.
Turnage led the Jackets with seven rebounds while Samuel’s seven points was also a team-high in the first half.
SECOND HALF
Moon scored the half’s first points on a jumper to get the Jackets down by just two, 28-26. Florida scored nine of the next 11 to take a 37-28 lead. Turnage drew an and-one play to get Tech down by seven, 37-30, with 4:30 left in the third. Florida managed to go up 42-30 until Alben broke through with a bucket to make it a 10-point game, 42-40, with under two left. Florida led 46-32 going into the fourth.
Turnage drilled a bucket to open the fourth, giving her nine for the day. Points from Walker, Alben and Ariadna Termis cut the deficit to 12, 52-40, at the 6:19 media timeout in the fourth. Moments later, a paint jumper from Moon cut it to 10, 52-42, with under six left. Termis made a pair of free throws to then get Tech within eight, 52-44. Walker drilled a jumper to get the Jackets on an 8-0 run and down by only six, 52-46, with 4:20 on the clock. The Gators made a quick basket to get back ahead by eight but was quickly answered by Samuel, now at 54-48 with under three left. Florida managed to sustain its advantage and held on for the 65-56 result.
UP NEXT
Tech is back on the road for its third SEC opponent in four games when it travels to College Station, Texas to face Texas A&M for the ACC/SEC Challenge. Tip-off is set for 7:15 p.m. ET Wednesday, Dec. 3 on the SEC Network.
Georgia Tech is back inside McCamish Pavilion Monday, Dec. 8 for a 7 p.m. clash with Norfolk State. Fans can purchase tickets here.
PURCHASE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2025-26 Georgia Tech women’s basketball season remain on sale. Season tickets begin at just $50 for general admission and $65 for reserved seats. Fans won’t want to miss any of the action in McCamish Pavilion this upcoming season, which features a challenging nine-game Atlantic Coast Conference schedule in addition to a competitive non-conference slate. To purchase tickets, or for more information, please visit RamblinWreck.com.
Single-game tickets also remain on sale, as well as a Mini Plan for patrons wishing to attend multiple games this season. A Mini Plan includes tickets to four games, anchored by Tech’s marquee matchup against Notre Dame on Jan. 1 plus the choice of three additional Atlantic Coast Conference games.
Group tickets are also on sale now. For groups interested in purchasing tickets to a Georgia Tech athletics event, please fill out this form linked.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on X (@GTWBB), Instagram (GTWBB), Facebook (Georgia Tech Women’s Basketball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
