THE FLATS – Four in double figures and a stingy defensive effort helped Georgia Tech women’s basketball defeat the Samford Bulldogs Thursday night inside McCamish Pavilion, 84-58.
The Yellow Jackets (2-0, 0-0 ACC) battled through an early second-quarter, lead-taking run from the Bulldogs (1-1, 0-0 SoCon) with a dominant 11-2 run and never looked back. Tech was led by a career day for Jordan Ode (18 points; 8-for-12 FG) and 46 points combined from La'Nya Foster (16), Talayah Walker (16) and Erica Moon (14).
Ode also had six rebounds and three assists, while Foster neared a double-double for the second-straight game, adding a team-high eight rebounds. Moon and Walker led the team with four steals – a mark that tied the former's career-best set Monday vs. Hofstra.
Tech's defense rose to the occasion, holding the 2026 SoCon Champions to just five made threes on 24 attempts (20.8%). Samford made 19 from beyond the arc in its season opener (45%). The Jackets held the Bulldogs to 1-for-9 (11.1%) from distance in the third.
Thursday night also saw some firsts for Tech, with Leyre Urdiain scoring her first collegiate points, as well as the first scores in a Jacket uniform for Sofia Muñoz and Déborah Mukeba. Inés Noguero also provided valuable minutes for the White and Gold, scoring eight points with five rebounds.
Tech had 26 assists on 30 shots Thursday, adding to an assist average of 79.7% through the season's first two games.
FIRST HALF
Moon opened the game with a triple, giving Tech an early 3-0 advantage. Following a quick scoring flurry from Samford, Foster hit a trey of her own to make it 8-5. More scoring from Ode and Foster saw the Jackets lead 12-7 at the 3:40 media timeout. Going into that stoppage, the GT defense had held Samford to just one make in its last nine shots and four turnovers in less than five minutes. Samford cut into the score via free throws before Muñoz made her first bucket in a Tech uniform – also a three-pointer – to make it 17-11. Noguero added a layup before the stoppage to give Tech a 19-13 lead after one.
Samford had a hot start to the second and took a slim 20-19 lead. Foster then retook the lead for Tech out of a timeout, 21-20. Following another lead change in favor of Samford, Tech sank seven-straight free throws as part of a 11-2 run, forcing the Bulldogs to use a timeout at 3:54, 30-24. The Jackets forced five turnovers in less than 2:30 of game action and used a late 7-0 run to lead 41-31 at the half. Urdiain's first points as a Jacket – also in the form of a trey – contributed to the 7-0 burst.
Tech held Samford to 3-for-11 from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes.
SECOND HALF
A Foster free throw opened the period, getting her into double figures for the second time in as many games. The Tech defense forced another long Samford scoring drought and extended its lead to 52-38. Another Ode triple and free throws from Walker that got her into double figures helped the Jackets' lead blossomed to 59-43 with under two left in the third. Tech closed the frame on a 6-0 run that was capped by a buzzer-beating three from Ode, getting her to a new career-best 14 points. That shot gave the Jackets their largest lead of the night going into the fourth, 63-43.
The Bulldogs made a layup to open the fourth that was quickly answered by a Moon three-pointer, making it 66-45. Tech got to 70 points before Samford made back-to-back unanswered buckets for the first time since the second quarter, slicing the Jacket lead to 70-54. The reigning SoCon Champs would only make one more field goal in the final 5:30 as Tech added more points courtesy of Noguero, Foster, Ode and Mukeba, sealing the 84-58 victory.
Tech had an efficient final 10 shooting the basketball, going 64.3% from the floor and 66.7% from distance.