RALEIGH, N.C. – Eylia Love led all scorers and Lorela Cubaj added a double-double, but it wasn’t enough as No. 11 Georgia Tech fell at No. 5 NC State, 59-48, Monday night in Reynolds Coliseum.
Georgia Tech (18-5, 9-3 ACC) jumped out with a 10-2 lead, but the Wolfpack answered with an 8-0 run fueled by a pair of three-pointers to knot the score at 10-all with 3:37 to play in the first. After a competitive opening frame, the Yellow Jackets and Wolfpack stood at a standstill, 14-14, but NCSU outscored Tech, 16-8, in the second quarter to lead 30-22 at halftime. Love led the Jackets with eight points at halftime.
NC State used a dominant third quarter to gain a comfortable lead and held a 49-29 advantage entering the final quarter. The Wolfpack would extend their lead, but the Yellow Jackets put together a 14-2 run late in the frame to come within 11 for the final 59-48 tally. Love and Lotta-Maj Lahtinen capped Tech’s offense hitting a pair of three-pointers in the final two minutes as the Jackets kept the Wolfpack off the scoreboard for the final 4:41 minutes of play.
Love led all scorers with 16 points for her 12th game scoring in double-figures this season. Nerea Hermosa followed with 13 points, while Cubaj finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for her ninth double-double this season.
NC State was led by Diamond Johnson with 12 points and Raina Perez with 11 on the evening. The Wolfpack won the battle on the glass, 39-30, paced by seven rebounds from Elissa Cunane. For the game, NC State shot 43.1 percent from the field.
Georgia Tech closes this four-game road swing with a trip to Virginia Tech on Thursday, Feb. 10. Tip is slated for 8 p.m. in Cassell Coliseum and will be televised on RSN.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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