Jan. 1, 2011
By Jon Cooper
Sting Daily
TECH LEADING SCORER: Alex Montgomery, 14.5 ppg
JACKSONVILLE STATE LEADING SCORER: Brittany Wiley, 13.3 ppg
TECH LEADING REBOUNDER: Alex Montgomery, 8.5 rpg
JACKSONVILLE STATE LEADING REBOUNDER: Danielle Vaughn, 6.6 rpg
TECH SCORING: 66.5 ppg
JACKSONVILLE STATE: 59.4 ppg
TECH OPPONENTS SCORING: 51.1 ppg
JACKSONVILLE STATE OPPONENTS: 67.7 ppg
JACKSONVILLE STATE PLAYER TO WATCH: Brittany Wiley: The 5-11 junior guard from Carrollton, Ga., is showing why she’s been named Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference the last two years. Over her last four games, Wiley has averaged 17.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
MaChelle Joseph and Co. are looking to make it nine straight and nine out of 10 at home this season when they ring in 2011 and conclude their non-conference schedule against Jacksonville State of the Ohio Valley Conference. Tip-off is at 2:00 p.m.
The Jackets closed out 2010 with a resounding 82-11 victory against over-matched Tennessee State Thursday night at Alexander Memorial Coliseum. The Jackets held the Lady Tigers to an NCAA-low 11 points, and tied the NCAA record for fewest points in a half (3), not allowing a field goal in the first 20 minutes. Ty Marshall and Chelsea Regins each had 16 (for Regins it was a career-high), while Alex Montgomery had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
JSU is 1-6 on the road this season but has dropped its last six away from home, including a 79-60 decision its last time out, Thursday night in Auburn. Brittany Wiley had 20 points and seven rebounds, but the Gamecocks, who trailed by only five at the half, were undone by an early 16-0 second half run.
Today is the first meeting between the two schools, as the Yellow Jackets look to make it 3-0 all time against the OVC, having twice walloped Tennessee State.
Now, the Starting Five for today’s game.
Cold-Shooting Stars:
JSU leading scorer Brittany Wiley could be in for a long day if recent history is any indication. Over the last four games, Georgia Tech has shut down opposing team’s big guns. Portland State’s Courtney VanBrocklin, Washington’s Kristi Kingma, Mercer’s Briana Williams and Tennessee State’s Meredith Stafford shot a combined 9-for-47 (19.1), and 5-for-20 from three (25.0). The Jackets especially frustrated Stafford, who was 0-for-12, 0-2 from three, limiting her to one point, 10 below her average. The star-studded quartet combined for 29 points, 7.5 per game against Tech. They had averaged a combined 14.0 per game.
Top Ten, Here I Come:
Alex Montgomery could reach the top 10 in Georgia Tech career scoring with a 21-point-game this afternoon. Montgomery enters the day 12th all-time, with 1,295 points. That’s eight away from 11th place, currently held by LeeAnn Woodhull, a 1993 Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame inductee. Stephanie Higgs is 10th all-time, with 1,315, points.
Almost Perfect:
Regins not only put up her career-high in points against Tennessee State, she nearly had a perfect night shooting. The junior, best known for her energy and ferocity on the boards, converted 5-of-6 from the floor and 6-of-7 free throw attempts. The five field goals tied her season high (she was 5-for-7 on Nov. 17, against Kennesaw State), while her six free throws are a season-high. Her career-best is 8-for-9 against Savannah State, last Jan. 21.
The Milestone Maker:
Regins had another milestone of sorts in addition to her career-high Thursday night, as she scored in double-figures in back-to-back games for the first time in her career. The effort against TSU followed her game against Mercer, where she scored 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting. The seven field goals were a career-high.
High Five:
Sasha Goodlett may be finding her range just in time for ACC play. The junior center has hit for at least five field goals in back-to-back games and three of her last four. In the four-game stretch, Goodlett is shooting 62.1 percent (18-for-29), including a 6-for-7 night against Portland State and 5-for-6 against Tennessee State.
The Sixth Man:
Freshman Dawnn Maye seems to have found the range in her last two games, setting her career-high with eight points against Mercer then re-setting it with nine against Tennessee State. Maye had four field goals in each game, going 4-for-5 against the Bears and 4-for-7 versus the Lady Tigers.