Jan. 31, 2003
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Behind 27 points and 16 rebounds from senior center Sonja Mallory, the Georgia Tech women’s basketball team was able to hold off a late rally by Wake Forest and won its third-straight Atlantic Coast Conference game with a 74-70 decision over the Demon Deacons at the Joel Coliseum Annex in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Friday night.
“I thought our team showed great resiliency tonight,” said Tech head coach Agnus Berenato. “I told the team that it is one thing to hold off a team’s run at home, but to do it on the road is really great. I really think that this is a big road win for us.”
The Yellow Jackets (14-6, 3-5 ACC) jumped all over the Demon Deacons (10-8, 1-7 ACC) to start the second half, using an 11-0 run to build a 35-34 halftime lead into a 46-34 lead with 16:47 to play on four points from both Mallory and Jessica Williams. Tech took its largest lead of the contest at 58-40 with 8:40 to play on layup by junior forward Fallon Stokes. Wake Forest then closed the game to as close as three at 64-61 with 2:57 remaining on an 8-0 run that was keyed by threes from Tonia Brown and Liz Strunk.
Tech pulled away at the end of the game, completing an outstanding free throw shooting night, hitting all six attempts at the line down the stretch in the contest. Included in that was a perfect 4-for-4 performance by junior guard Alex Stewart.
The Jackets started slowly against the Deacons, trailing for much of the first half, leading 6-4 with 17:38 remaining, Tech did not pull ahead until its 35-34 advantage with 17 seconds remaining that it took into the intermission. Wake did not have any answers for Jacket center Sonja Mallory, who heated up after missing her first four shots to hit five of her next six and led all scorers in the first period with 16 points, including a six-for-seven performance at the free throw line.
“Sonja was huge for us tonight,” said Berenato. “For her to have 27 points, 16 rebounds and then hit all but two of her free throws was outstanding.”
Tech also got seven points from Fallon Stokes and six more from rookie guard Megan Harpring. A steal and layup by rookie Mallorie Winn with 17 seconds left gave the Jackets the lead at the half. Winn was seeing her first action December 5 against Mercer, missing 13 games with a stress fracture in her foot.
Mallory finished the game with her 27 points and 16 rebounds, adding four blocked shots and an outstanding 9-for-11 performance at the charity stripe. Stokes, who finished with 13 points and eight rebounds and Stewart, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds, to go along with eight assists and four steals, joined Mallory in double figures.
Georgia Tech will have little time to savor the victory as it takes on sixth-ranked North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 1 p.m. The game will be televised on the ACC’s Regional Sports Network, which includes Fox Sports Net South and the Sunshine Network.
