Dec. 4, 2013
THE FLATS – The rv/rv Georgia Tech women’s basketball team (5-2) utilized impressive rebounding and a 27-point performance from senior Tyaunna Marshall to defeat Illinois (5-4), 93-69, during the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
With the win against the Fighting Illini, Georgia Tech is now 6-1 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge games and holds a perfect 4-0 record at home during the challenge.
“I’m really pleased with the overall play of three of our seniors,” head coach MaChelle Joseph said. “Ty Marshall obviously led the way offensively and defensively on both ends of the floor. She did a tremendous job of playing hard and setting the tone of how hard we were going to play.”
Marshall scored a season-high 27 points against the Illini while grabbing eight rebounds and recording four steals. This was Marshall’s fifth game of the season where she scored in double-figures and her third-straight game where she totaled 20 points or more. The Jackets are 21-6 when Marshall scores 20+ points.
Marshall had back-to-back layups to open up the scoring for the Georgia Tech against the Fighting Illini. Her four-straight points tied her with Chioma Nnamaka for fifth on the Jackets all-time scoring list with 1,593 points. Marshall took sole ownership of fifth place in the record book when she sank both of her free throws at 14:36 in the first half, which propelled the Jackets to a 9-7 lead. Marshall currently has 1,616 career points which puts her 340 points away from breaking Kisha Ford’s record of 1,955.
“I thought Dawnn Maye off the bench with her seven assists and 10 points was huge,” Joseph said. “Shayla Bivins in the first half was just finishing layups and getting rebounds around the basket and her defensive presence was great. I thought all three of them stepped up tonight and led the team and showed them how we want to play defensively.”
Bivins scored a career-high eight points against the Illini and led the team in blocks with three. Maye was one of four Yellow Jackets that scored in double-figures, contributing 10 points, seven assists and three steals in the victory.
Sophomore Roddreka Rogers notched her second double-double of the season and third of her career, leading the team in rebounding with 13 boards and recording 10 points. Freshman Kaela Davis stretched her double-figure scoring streak to seven games, scoring 16 points while recording six rebounds.
Tech used a tough defensive presence to aide themselves in their third-straight victory. Not only did they hold the advantage in rebounding, 56-44, the Jackets recorded a season-high 16 steals and forced the Illini to turn the ball over 22 times. Georgia Tech outscored Illinois, 27-16, off of turnovers.
The Yellow Jackets’ aggressive rebounding the first half aided Tech to a 42-30 lead at halftime. The Jackets went hard to the glass out-rebounding the Fighting Illini, 29-15, in the first half. The Jackets had more offensive boards in the first half, 18, than Illinois had total rebounds.
Maye put her athleticism on display when she intercepted Nia Oden’s pass and turned it into two points on the fast break. Shayla Bivins scored two-straight layups following Maye’s basket to give the Jackets’ a 22-16 lead with 9:14 remaining in the first half. Sophomore Roddreka Rogers added on a layup to the 8-0 game-changing run.
The Jackets would keep the lead out of the Fighting Illini’s reach for the remainder of the game.
Whiteside went on her own 7-0 run that lasted 1:04 to put the Jackets up, 35-23. Whiteside scored every way possible, sinking a 3-pointer, hitting two free-throws and knocking down a jumper during the run.
Coming out of the locker room at halftime with a 42-30, the Jackets utilized an 8-1 run that would put them up 52-31 2:41 into the second half.
Five-straight points from Davis would give the Jackets a spark and a 66-46 advantage. The freshman has scored in double-figures in every game so far this season and leads the team in scoring with 18.4 ppg.
After a layup by freshman Donnaizha Fountain with 9:37 left in the game that put the Jackets up, 70-49, Tech never let Illinois come within less than 21 points of their lead. Tech took its largest lead of the game of 29 with 2:31 remaining off of a jump shot by junior Sydney Wallace.
Jacqui Grant led the Illini in both scoring, 14 points, and rebounding, 11 boards, on her way to a double-double. Ivory Crawford also scored 14 points for the Illini.
The Jackets are back in action this Saturday at 4:30 p.m. when they host Alabama A&M as the second half of a double-header with the Georgia Tech men’s basketball team. Fans can donate toys for the Michael Isenhour Toy Drive at the game and participate in a Teddy Bear Toss at halftime of the women’s game. Click here for more information on the toy drive.
For an inside look at the program, follow Georgia Tech women’s basketball on Twitter, @GTWBB, Instagram, GTWBB, and like the Yellow Jackets on Facebook, GTWomensBasketball.
—RamblinWreck–
