Feb. 19, 2012
Duluth, Ga. – Georgia Tech’s 85-48 win over Boston College (7-20, 2-12 ACC) today at the Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga., set the Yellow Jacket record for most ACC wins in one season with 10. The win also gave Tech 20 wins on the season, the sixth straight year Georgia Tech (20-7, 10-4 ACC) has notched at least 20 victories.
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The 2012 Georgia Tech senior class has now amassed 89 victories during its four-year career, the second most of any Yellow Jacket class. The 2011 class set the record with 91 and this year’s group could tie that mark with two regular-season games remaining.
The Yellow Jackets are in good position to earn one of four first-round byes in the upcoming ACC Tournament to be held March 1-4 at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C. Entering Sunday, Tech was tied with Maryland for third in the conference, but the Terps own the tiebreak over the Jackets. Tech has to face Virginia Tech and Clemson, while Maryland played Duke Sunday, and have to take on North Carolina and NC State yet.
“We started the season and a lot of people were skeptical if we could set the record again and if we could win as many games as we did a year ago,” head coach MaChelle Joseph said. “I felt like going into this season, this team was the best team I had as far as most talented and deepest. I thought this team would set the record for most wins. We haven’t done that yet, but we have the most wins in ACC regular season and another 20 win season. That’s a tremendous complement to our five seniors, their leadership and resiliency to stay together and stay the course. One of our goals is to play our best basketball in late February and March. I really feel like we’re heading in that direction.”
Tech dominated from the start and never trailed against the Eagles. The Jackets opened the game on a 9-1 run and held BC without a field goal until the 13:49 mark of the first half. Georgia Tech led 35-16 at the half, the 19th time this season Tech has held an edge at intermission.
Sophomore Tyaunna Marshall was 5-of-7 from the field in the first half and had 13 points at halftime. Senior Metra Walthour added 10 first half points, including a pair of 3-pointers in the opening frame.
The Yellow Jackets didn’t let up to begin the second half, extending their lead to 30 before the first media timeout of the second half.
Tech shot 63 percent in the second half and scored 50 points and seven different Jackets scored in the final 20 minutes. Sophomore Frida Fogdemark was the game’s leading scorer with a career-high 16 points on 4-of-4 shooting from 3-point range and 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
Four other Jackets finished in double digits. Marshall tallied 13 points, while freshman Sydney Wallace tossed in 12 points, her fourth double digit scoring game of the year. Senior Sasha Goodlett and Walthour each finished with 10 points.
The Jackets finished the game having made 10-of-15 3-point attempts, the ninth time in school history with at least 10 triples made.
“One of our Achilles heels has always been our 3-point shooting,” Joseph said. “I thought today, Me-Me Walthour started the game from the 3-point line. Then Frida Fogdemark and Sydney Wallace really stepped up in the second half and knocked down some shots. That really opens things up on the inside for us when we’re able to make those kind of shots from the perimeter. It was good to see those young kids step up and play their role like we know they’re capable of.”
Georgia Tech will make its final regular-season road trip of the year when the Jackets travel to Blacksburg, Va., to play the Virginia Tech Hokies (7-20, 3-11 ACC) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Cassell Coliseum.
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— RamblinWreck.com –
