THE FLATS – No. 17 Georgia Tech trailed by eight with less than five minutes to play, but staged a rally down the stretch to pull out a 70-69 win over SMU on Thursday night in McCamish Pavilion. Zoesha Smith hit a pair of clutch free throws that gave the Yellow Jackets the permanent lead with 1.2 seconds to play.
After holding a six-point lead at halftime, Georgia Tech (19-4, 7-4 ACC) dropped the third quarter to SMU, allowing the Mustangs to use a 14-6 run over the final four minutes of the period to gain a 54-52 edge entering the fourth quarter. The Mustangs stretched their lead out to 66-58 following a three-pointer from Nya Robertson, but Kara Dunn ignited Tech’s comeback. Dunn and Smith combined to score Tech’s next eight points, setting up a 68-66 contest before Chit-Chat Wright tied the game with a layup with 30 seconds on the clock.
Tech’s defense forced a missed shot by SMU and Smith was fouled on the rebound, sending the Jacket to the free throw line with 1.2 ticks left. Smith drained both, but Robertson was fouled on the next play, sending the Mustang to the line. Robertson missed the front end as the teams fought to the finish with Tech sealing the 70-69 win.
The Yellow Jackets got off to a slow start as SMU led by five, 18-13, after the first. Tianna Thompson, Wright and Ariadna Termis combined to score 21 points in the second frame to push Tech in front at halftime, 34-28.
Tianna Thompson provided a spark in the second quarter and finished with nine points on the night.
A quartet of Jackets finished in double-figures paced by Dunn with 15 points. Tonie Morgan added 14, while Wright contributed 12 and Smith finished with 11. For the game, Tech shot 40.4 percent from the field and 68.2 percent (15-22) from the free throw line. In the fourth quarter, Tech went 7-for-8 from the charity stripe, while SMU was 4-for-7, proving to be the difference in the frame.
TK Pitts led SMU with 19 points on the night and was one of five Mustangs in double-figures. SMU won the battle on the glass, 43-36, and shot 39.7 percent (27-68) from the floor.
Georgia Tech heads back on the road, opening a two-game road swing at Boston College on Sunday, Feb. 9. Tip is slated for 2 p.m. on ACC Network Extra in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Zoesha Smith postgame press conference
Nell Fortner postgame press conference
PURCHASE TICKETS FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Single-game tickets for the season remain on sale. Single game tickets begin at just $10 for general admission seating and are $12 for reserved seating. Youth pricing begins at $8 per game and are available day of game, while group ticket packages are on sale for 10 or more tickets at $5 per ticket. Please contact the Georgia Tech Athletic Association ticket office for more information on group tickets at tickets@athletics.gatech.edu. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting RamblinWreck.com or by calling the Georgia Tech ticket office at 1-888-TECH-TIX.
GEORGIA TECH WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CELEBRATES 50 YEARS
Georgia Tech is celebrating the 50th anniversary of women’s basketball on The Flats this season. Under the direction of coach Jim Culpepper, Georgia Tech competed its first year in the Georgia Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (GAIAW) in 1974-75 before joining the ACC in 1979-80. Tech has seen many highlights over 50 years, including playing in the NCAA Tournament 11 times, with two Sweet 16 appearances (2012, 2021), and producing nine WNBA draft picks, featuring first round draft picks Alex Montgomery and Sasha Goodlett. In its first postseason berth in school history, Georgia Tech captured the 1992 National Women’s Invitational Tournament. Currently in its sixth season under head coach Nell Fortner, the Yellow Jackets have reach postseason play three times in the last five years.
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.
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