Nov. 24, 2015
ATLANTA, Ga. – Seniors Roddreka Rogers and Aaliyah Whiteside combined to score half of Georgia Tech women’s basketball’s points in the Yellow Jackets’ (4-1) 80-54 victory against Alabama State (1-3) at McCamish Pavilion on Tuesday evening.
“I really feel like our effort was great and our seniors led us, no doubt,” head coach MaChelle Joseph said. “Roddreka Rogers and Aaliyah Whiteside really stepped up and carried this team early on. I was pleased with the play of our young post players, Chelsea Guimaraes and Martine Fortune. I thought they did a great job of stepping up and knocking down some elbow jumpers.”
How it Happened
The Yellow Jackets ran out to an 11-0 lead in the opening three and half minutes of the game, led by Rogers’ six points. Rogers and fellow senior Aaliyah Whiteside teamed up to pioneer a 33-16 Georgia Tech lead in the first period, both hitting double-figures in the first frame. Rogers scored 12 points while Whiteside added 11 in the opening minutes and the defense forced eight turnovers.
In the first half, Whiteside and Rogers combined to score 30 of Tech’s 50 points. The Yellow Jackets took a 50-37 lead into the locker room.
The Yellow Jackets held the Hornets to only three field goals in the third period on its way to a 66-45 advantage heading into the final 10 minutes of play. Whiteside reached 21 points with 34 seconds left in the third period for her fifth-straight 20 point game.
Tech took its largest lead at the end of the game, 28 points, and cemented its fifth-straight win against Alabama State, 80-54.
Leading by Example
Seniors Roddreka Rogers and Aaliyah Whiteside were key factors in Georgia Tech’s win, scoring 50 percent of Tech’s points and grabbing 46 percent of the Jackets’ rebounds. Rogers scored a season-high 17 points while leading the team in rebounding with 13 boards for her first double-double of the season. It was the 17th double-double of her career. Whiteside scored at least 21 points for the fifth straight game and went 13-for-16 from the free throw line.
Pick Pockets
The Yellow Jackets stole the ball from the Hornets 18 times, scoring 29 points off of their turnovers. Whiteside and sophomore Imani Tilford each tallied five steals a piece. The five steals were career-highs for both Whiteside and Tilford. Rogers also had three steals.
Free Points
The Hornets fouled the Jackets 38 times, sending Tech to the charity stripe to shoot 51 free throws. The 51 attempted free throws are the most the Yellow Jackets have attempted at the line since Tech shot 50 free throws against Clemson on Jan. 26, 2002. Georgia Tech went 34-for-51 from the free throw line in the game.
Tech Tidbits
- Georgia Tech now leads the all-time series, 5-0.
- Freshman Martine Fortune made the first start of her career.
- Senior Aaliyah Whiteside scored in double-figures for the fifth game this season and the 12th straight game dating back to last season. She finished tonight with 23 points.
- Whiteside continued her 20 point scoring streak, dropping 23 points against Alabama State for her fifth-straight 20+ point game.
- Whiteside went 13-for-16 from the charity stripe tonight. The senior ranks eighth on Georgia Tech’s career free throws made list with 315. She needs to make six more free throws to surpass Karen Lounsbury (320) for seventh.
- Senior Roddreka Rogers scored a season-high 17 points and led the Jackets on the boards with 13 rebounds. She has led the Jackets in rebounding 35 times in her career.
- With her 13 rebounds against the Hornets, Rogers now has 743 career rebounds putting her 18 rebounds away from surpassing Sasha Goodlett for 10th place on Georgia Tech’s career list.
- Rogers’ double-double against the Hornets was the first of the season and the 18th of her career. Her 18 double-doubles leads all active ACC players.
- Sophomore Imani Tilford scored a career-high 10 points. Her previous career-best was seven points. She also had five steals, a block and three assists in the victory.
- Junior Katarina Vuckovic scored in double-digits for the fourth game this season. She is averaging 13.4 points per game and a team-best 6.8rebounds this season.
- The 33 points the Yellow Jackets scored in the first period tied a season-high. The Jackets also scored 33 against St. Francis Brooklyn in the third period.
Next Up
The Yellow Jackets travel to Cancun, Mexico for the Cancun Challenge, facing Northern Iowa on Thursday at 9 p.m. and High Point on Friday at 6:30 p.m. All games will be streamed live on YouTube Live and can be heard on WREK 91.1/WREK.org. Click here to find all the live streaming and live stats information.
