THE FLATS – A career-high seven three-pointers from Rusne Augustinaite helped lift Georgia Tech women’s basketball past Rice on Wednesday afternoon, 88-57, in McCamish Pavilion. Augustinaite finished with a game-high 23 points, leading four Yellow Jackets in double-figures, and pushing Tech to 12-0 with the win.
Georgia Tech shot 50.0 percent in the first half, fueled by 14 points from Augustinaite as the Yellow Jackets held the halftime lead, 37-18. The teams kept a close hold in the early going before Augustinaite and a triple from Dani Carnegie opened a seven-point lead late in the first. Augustinaite came out in the second on fire, draining three consecutive triples to open the period and extend Tech’s lead into double-digits. Tech would lead by as many as 20 points in the half, 37-17, following a Carnegie bucket at the 2:24 mark of the second quarter.
The Jackets continued to dominate in the second half, breaking open a 40-point lead, 80-40, on a Zoesha Smith bucket in the final period. Tech led by as many as 42 points in the win and trailed for less than two minutes in the outing.
Head coach Nell Fortner recorded her 100th victory at Georgia Tech with the win over Rice.
Augustinaite led a quartet of Jackets in double-figures with 23 points. She is the second current Yellow Jacket to hit seven three-pointers in a game, as teammate Kara Dunn hit seven last season at NC State. Augustinatie tied the second-highest record in three-pointers made in a game with seven.
Dunn added 17 points in the victory, while Smith tallied a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Tonie Morgan chipped in 10 points. Tech dominated on the glass, winning the battle, 48-31, fueled by Smith’s 11 rebounds, including five offensive boards. Smith’s double-double was her first as a Yellow Jacket and third in her career.
For the fifth time this season, Tech connected on 10-plus three-pointers, hitting 13 with five Jackets recording a triple. Tech also tallied 22 assists in the win led by seven from Chazadi Wright.
The Owls had two in double-figures, paced by 12 points from Hailey Adams and 10 points from Dominique Ennis. Turnovers plagued both teams with a combined 36 made in the game. Georgia Tech used 17 Rice miscues for 36 points, while the Jackets had 19.
Tech, off to the best start in program history, remains one of only nine teams undefeated in the country. With the win today, head coach Nell Fortner recorded her 100th career victory at Georgia Tech. Since her arrival on The Flats, Fortner has led the Jackets to three postseason appearances, including the program’s second NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2021.
The Yellow Jackets continues this homestand on Saturday, Dec. 21, welcoming No. 23 Nebraska to McCamish Pavilion. Tip is slated for 5:30 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
Rusne Augustinaite postgame press conference
Nell Fortner chats with media postgame
ACC PICK 3 TICKET PACKAGE FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Pick three premier ACC women’s basketball home games in the ACC Pick 3 ticket plan for just $24. Packages are available for purchase only until Dec. 29. 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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