THE FLATS – Three Yellow Jackets finished in double-figures and Lorela Cubaj surpassed the all-time Georgia Tech women’s basketball rebounding record as No. 18 Georgia Tech rolled to a 62-45 victory against Wake Forest on Sunday. In the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams, Tech improved to 9-2 overall and 1-0 in league action.
Eylia Love finished with a career-best 16 points to lead Tech offensively along with Nerea Hermosa who also dropped 16. Digna Strautmane added 12 points to the scoreboard as Tech saw seven Jackets contribute offensively. Tech dominated on the inside, outscoring the Demon Deacons, 36-20 in the paint.
Tech got things rolling in the first half, opening a double-digit lead in the second quarter off a Cubaj pull up jumper at the 3:56 mark. Following back-to-back buckets from Hermosa late in the period, the Jackets pushed its lead out to 14 points, 29-15, and led 29-17 at halftime.
Strautmane opened the third quarter draining a three-pointer as Tech finished with six on the evening, including two from Love. Tech continued to push its lead out in the second half, gaining its largest lead at 51-27 on Love’s second three-pointer with less than a minute to play in the third quarter.
Eylia Love finished with a career-high 16 points against Wake Forest, including a 2-for-2 effort from three point range. (Photo by Danny Karnik)
For the ninth time this season, Tech won the rebounding battle, 34-33, and its strong defense forced 17 Wake Forest turnovers. Fueled by six helpers from Cubaj, the Jackets finished with 20 assists on 27 made field goals. For the game, Tech shot 45.8 percent (27-59) from the field.
Finishing with 12 rebounds on the night, Cubaj became Georgia Tech women’s basketball’s all-time leading rebounder with an offensive rebound at the 7:10 mark in the second quarter. Cubaj entered the game needing six rebounds to surpass Bonnie Tate’s then-program record 1,039 career rebounds set from 1977-79. In her career, Cubaj now owns 1,046 career rebounds to claim sole possession of the all-time record.
Lorela Cubaj finished with four points and 12 rebounds to become Georgia Tech’s all-time leading rebounder in program history. (Photo by Danny Karnik)
Wake Forest (10-2, 0-1 ACC) was led by Elise Williams who finished with 10 points. The Jackets limited Jewel Spear – the ACC’s leading scorer who averaged 22.5 points per game – to nine points in the outing.
Georgia Tech returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 21 to welcome Boston University. Tip is slated for 1 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
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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