Jan. 24, 2014
BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Georgia Tech women’s basketball team (13-6, 3-3 ACC) used a strong second half and 30 points from senior Tyaunna Marshall to defeat Virginia Tech (10-8, 0-5 ACC), 73-52, at Cassell Coliseum Thursday night.
“I think Ty put us on her back and decided that she wasn’t going to lose this game,” head coach MaChelle Joseph said. “She didn’t have a great first half, but I thought her second half was one of the best halves I’ve ever seen her play. She was pretty phenomenal in the second half.”
Marshall led the Yellow Jackets on offense, recording her second-career 30 point game. She scored 21 points in the second half to spark a comeback, after the Jackets headed into halftime down, 25-19. Marshall also led the Jackets on the boards, grabbing seven rebounds, and dished out a team-high five assists. This was the second time this season that Marshall has led the Jackets in points, rebounding and assists.
Marshall’s 30 point performance also marked the ninth time this season and 33rd time in her career that she has scored at least 20 points.
Freshman Kaela Davis also reached double-figures against the Hokies, scoring 12 points and recording six rebounds.
The Jackets forced Virginia Tech to turn the ball over 18 times and held them to 35 percent shooting (21-for-60).
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“I thought that we did a really good job of using different rotations on defense,” Joseph said. “We used different defenses to keep them off balance. I think this is the best Virginia Tech team I’ve seen since I’ve been at Georgia Tech. We had some serious concerns coming in how we were going to defend them. I thought our team did a good job adjusting and taking away some of the strengths of Virginia Tech’s offense.”
The game was a tale of two halves for the Yellow Jackets. After scoring a season-low 19 points in the first half, Georgia Tech came out strong in the second half, recording 54 points.
Davis hit a 3-pointer coming out of halftime to pull the Jackets within three of the Hokies, 25-22, lead. Virginia Tech would then stretch its lead to as large as seven points, before Marshall sprang into action.
Marshall put together her own 8-0 run to bring the Jackets within one point, 35-34, with 13:47 remaining in the ball game. Sophomore Aaliyah Whiteside would hit 11:28 the second end of her free-throw at 11:28 to tie up the game 36-36.
On the ensuing play, Whiteside grabbed a steal at midcourt and turned into two points, to give the Jackets its first lead since the 5:13 mark in the first half, 38-36.
Whiteside’s free throw sparked an 8-0 run for the Jackets, pushing them to an 43-36 lead with 9:54 left in the game. From then on, the Jackets held the lead for the remainder of the game on their way to their seventh win against the Hokies in the past eight matchups.
The Yellow Jackets wouldn’t let the Hokies get closer than five points for the rest of the contest and held a double-digit lead for the final 7:17 of the game. The Jackets took its largest lead of the night, 21 points, when Junior Sydney Wallace drained a jumper with 39 seconds left to secure the 73-52 victory. Wallace scored nine points against at Virginia Tech.
Uju Ugoka opened up the game for the Hokies, scoring four-straight points but Marshall answered with six of her own to put the Jackets ahead, 6-4, at 16:50. Wallace added on a basket to extend the Jackets’ run to 8-0 and give them an 8-4 lead.
The Hokies would take a 14-13 lead but Wallace quickly put the Jackets back ahead after sinking a 3-pointer at 5:58. Virginia Tech would string together a 6-1run to break an 18-18 tie and take a 25-19 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.
Ugoka led the Hokies, recording a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Taijah Campbell also scored in double-figures, notching 10 points.
The Jackets return home this Sunday, to host #23 NC State at 2 p.m. at McCamish Pavilion. Every Sunday is Kids Day at women’s basketball games, so all children 18 and under will receive free admission. There is also a Kids Zone that begins at 1 p.m. that features inflatables, a DJ and much more.
–RamblinWreck.com–
