Tech Set for Road Battle with SMU

Georgia Tech (5-9, 0-2 ACC) at SMU (7-7, 0-2 ACC)

• • Sunday, Jan. 4, 2025 · 4 p.m. ET · Moody Coliseum
  • Television: ACC Network Extra · Play-by-Play: John Liddle · Analyst: Jim Haller · Sideline: Breanna Sorensen
  • Radio: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets App/SiriusXM 985 · Richard Musterer 
  • Live Stats

 

DALLAS – Georgia Tech women’s basketball is back in action Sunday at SMU, looking to carry the momentum gained from an overtime win over No. 18 Notre Dame and amidst a homecoming for head coach and former SMU point guard Karen Blair.

Having won each of their last two, the Yellow Jackets toppled the Fighting Irish, 95-90, Thursday in Atlanta. Talayah Walker led the way with 33 points (averaging 15.3 per game this season) and 10 rebounds – for her second double-double. Brianna Turnage also had a double-double, with 13 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists. Tech outscored Notre Dame 27-21 in the fourth to send the game to a fifth period, where it secured the first ACC win of the Blair Era.

Blair led the Mustangs in several statistical categories during her time in Dallas (1996-99) and was named to the All-Conference Second Team in 1997-98.

Turnage also leads the Jackets in rebounds per game, now at 8.6.

SMU is back on home court Sunday after falling 91-58 to No. 13 Louisville on the road Thursday. The Mustangs are 5-3 at home this season and are still in search of their first ACC win of the season.

Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. ET on ACC Network Extra.

 

SERIES HISTORY

Sunday is just the second meeting between the Yellow Jackets and Mustangs. Their first encounter was last season on Feb. 6, 2025 where Tech secured a 70-69 win in Atlanta.

 

NUMBERS TO KNOW

2 – Sunday is just the second meeting all-time (and in as many seasons) between Tech and SMU.

3 – Head coach Karen Blair played three seasons at point guard for SMU (1996-99).

18.8 – Talayah Walker is averaging 18.8 points per game in the last five, with three-straight games of at least 20 points.

28.3 – Georgia Tech’s 28.3 bench points per game is third in the ACC and 34th in the nation.

31.3 – Georgia Tech averages 31.3 defensive rebounds per game, the second-most in the ACC and eighth in the country.

33 – Walker’s 33-point outing against Notre Dame is the most by a Yellow Jacket this season.

SEASON STORYLINES

• Talayah Walker leads the Yellow Jackets in points per game (15.3) and has three-straight 20-point games and four in the last six.
• Catherine Alben was named to the Cayman Islands All-Tournament Team following Tech’s games versus St. John’s (Nov. 28) and Florida (Nov. 29) in the Caribbean.
• Georgia Tech has outscored opponents 262-208 in the first quarter this season, contributing to a halftime margin of 488-427.
• Georgia Tech is ranked third in the ACC and 30th in the nation with 28.3 bench points per game.
• Georgia Tech is ranked near the top of the ACC when it comes to protecting the glass, averaging 43.3 rebounds per game – fifth in the league and 28th nationally.
• Georgia Tech is 6-2 inside the friendly confines of McCamish Pavilion this season. Tech is 20-6 in its last 26 games at home and has won 14 of its last 16 there against non-conference opponents.
• Georgia Tech did not shy away from challenges in the non-conference slate. On top of three SEC opponents and a nationally-ranked West Virginia squad, Georgia Tech has faced the 2025-26 Ivy League preseason favorite Princeton and 2025 MEAC Champion Norfolk State in the non-conference schedule.

2025-26 TEAM GUIDE

• The Yellow Jackets are led by first-year head coach Karen Blair, who arrived on The Flats after 26 season as an assistant coach including spending the last seven seasons at Maryland, helping the Terps to three Big Ten titles and a trip to the NCAA Tournament every year the event was held.
• Georgia Tech is coming off a 2024-25 season that featured a 22-11 record (9-9 ACC) that included a 14-4 record inside McCamish Pavilion and a trip to the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
• Georgia Tech returns three from the 2024-25 NCAA Tournament campaign, including Inés Noguero, D’Asia Thomas-Harris and Ariadna Termis.
• 10 newcomers make up the Jackets’ squad this season, including Savannah Samuel, Talayah Walker, Brianna Turnage, Catherine Alben, Erica Moon, La’Nya Foster, Jada Crawshaw, Deborah Mukeba and freshmen Leyre Urdiain and McKayla Taylor.

 

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.