Feb. 5, 2012
The #24/22 Georgia Tech women’s basketball team (17-6, 7-3 ACC) will be seeking revenge when it takes on the #9/10 Maryland Terrapins (19-3, 6-3 ACC) Monday night at the Arena at Gwinnett Center (7 p.m., ACC RSN, WREK 91.1 FM). The Terps rallied to defeat the Jackets 77-74 in the teams’ first meeting this season, January 6, in College Park, Md.
The Yellow Jackets extended their current winning streak to four with a 75-68 overtime win against NC State Thursday night, and Tech will be seeking its fifth straight win and seventh in the last eight games Monday night.
In this year’s first game, Sasha Goodlett registered a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Tyaunna Marshall and Metra Walthour both finished in double digit scoring.
Alyssa Thomas led four Terrapins in double digits with 24 points and she added 11 boards for a double-double of her own.
The game will also play a pivotal role in determining seeding for next month’s ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C. Currently, the Yellow Jackets have a half-game lead over the Terps for critical fourth place. Last season, the two tied for fourth, but Maryland’s last-second 56-53 win in Atlanta gave the Terrapins the edge for fourth and a first-round bye.
Season Sweep: Georgia Tech earned its first season sweep of an ACC team when it beat NC State 75-68 Feb. 2. Last season, the Yellow Jackets swept two of the three teams they faced twice in the regular season (Clemson and UNC). This year, the Jackets face five teams twice during ACC regular season play and has the possibility of sweeping four of them.
In The Rankings: Georgia Tech is ranked in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll for the first time this year. The Yellow Jackets are 24th in the AP and moved up to 22 from 24 in last week’s coaches poll.
Georgia Tech has been ranked by the AP in 27 weeks all-time and 23 of those have come under head coach MaChelle Joseph. Tech has been ranked in the coaches poll 11 weeks. This week marks only the ninth time in which the Yellow Jackets have been ranked in both polls at the same time.
The Yellow Jackets own a 35-18 all-time record as a ranked team.
Tech’s Wins Against Ranked Foes: All-time, Tech has notched 32 wins against ranked foes and all but four of those wins have come against ACC teams, including five times against Maryland. The Terps were ranked No. 4 when the Jackets beat them 77-72 Feb. 1, 2007, at the AMC.
Tech’s last home win over a ranked opponent was January 6 of last season when the Jackets rallied in the final minute to defeat No. 8 North Carolina 71-70.
Joseph Knows How To Take Down The Ranked: Since head coach MaChelle Joseph took the reins of the Tech program prior to the 2003-04 season, the Yellow Jackets have beaten nine ranked foes. During her playing days at Purdue, Joseph helped the Boilermakers to 13 wins over ranked opponents in four years.
Alphabet Soup: In the NCAA RPI released January 30, Georgia Tech is ranked 19th, fourth in the ACC behind Duke (8), Maryland (11) and Miami (13) In the NCAA’s strength of schedule (SOS), Georgia Tech is 15th nationally and first in the ACC.
Joseph Is A Legend: Head Coach MaChelle Joseph was voted as one of Purdue’s “Legends of Mackey” as part of the Boilermakers’ expansion and renovation of Mackey Arena. The 12 men’s and 12 women’s Legends were voted on by fans in a two-month online voting process.
Joseph was a first team All-American in 1992 and graduated as not only the school’s but the Big Ten’s all-time leading scorer among male and female players with 2,405 points. She still ranks first in scoring at Purdue and is fourth on the Big Ten list. Joseph also finished her career at the top of the Purdue and Big Ten career assists list with 628. She is still first all-time at Purdue and is now seventh in the Big Ten.
Golden Arches: Three of Georgia Tech’s four fall signees this year have been selected as nominees for the 2012 McDonald’s All-American Game to be held March 28 at the United Center in Chicago. Future Yellow Jackets Aaliyah Whiteside (Memphis, Tenn.), Brittany Jackson (Sebastian, Fla.) and Breana McDonald (Lithonia, Ga.) will find out if they are selected for the team February 9 in a live television special at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
