Feb. 27, 2003
RALEIGH, N.C. – Behind 25 points from junior forward Fallon Stokes, the Georgia Tech women’s basketball team extended its Atlantic Coast Conference win streak to three by defeating NC State by a 78-60 score at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, N.C. The victory margin was the second-largest for the Yellow Jackets against the Wolfpack in team history.
“This was a great game,” said Tech head coach Agnus Berenato. “I have to give compliments to my staff, they did a great job of preparing the team for this game and I thought we had a great scout of what they were going to do. My team also did an outstanding job of executing our game plan tonight.”
The Yellow Jackets (18-9, 7-8 ACC) jumped out to an early lead against the Wolfpack (11-15, 6-9 ACC) before making a late run in the first half to take the lead at the intermission. Both teams started slowly in the contest, with Tech taking a 16-10 lead with 10:09 remaining in the half on a pair of free throws by junior guard Alex Stewart. NC State then mounted its own rally, taking a 21-20 advantage on a layup by Billie McDowell, as McDowell scored all six of her points over a four-minute span late in the half. The Jackets then re-took control of the game, putting together a 10-1 run over the final 4:37 to take a 30-22 lead into the half. Four points from junior forward Fallon Stokes and three pointers from both Megan Harpring and Mallorie Winn keyed that spurt for Tech.
Stokes led the Yellow Jackets in the opening half, scoring 10 points, while Hapring and Winn added six and five respectively. The Wolfpack’s Carisse Moody matched Stokes with 10 points of her own in the opening stanza.
In the second half, Tech continued the onslaught, extending its run to 19-6 to claim a 39-27 advantage with 15:40 remaining in the contest. After NC State was able to keep the game within 10 points for the next four minutes, the Jackets put the contest away with a 20-9 run over the next 4:31, to take a 65-46 advantage with 6:42 to play. Stokes once again keyed the spurt with nine points over the span for Tech. Down the stretch, the Wolfpack was unable to get any closer than within 16, as the Yellow Jackets recorded their largest-ever win over NC State in Raleigh.
The Jackets were outstanding from the field on the night, hitting 52.6 percent of their shots on 30-for-57 shooting, including an 8-for-15 performance from beyond the three-point arc. Tech was also stellar at the free throw line, missing just one attempt at the charity stripe in hitting 10-of-11 shots.
“I’m really pleased with the total team effort that we had tonight,” said Berenato. “Fallon (Stokes) was amazing tonight. I’m really proud of the way she came out and played.”
Stokes led all scorers in the game with her 25 points and added a game-best nine rebounds in the contest. Megan Harpring continued her outstanding play, as she netted a career-high 16 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the floor, including a 4-for-5 performance from beyond the three-point arc. Winn, was the third Tech player in double figures, as she finished with 10 points and a team-high four assists.
NC State senior Carisse Moody led the Wolfpack with 16 points in her final game at Reynolds Coliseum on Senior Night. Kaayla Chones with 13 points and Nanna Rivers with 10 joined Moody in double figures.
Georgia Tech will conclude its regular-season schedule on Monday night, when it hosts Wake Forest in a game that will tip off at 7 p.m. at Alexander Memorial Coliseum. The game will be televised on the ACC’s regional sports network, which includes Fox Sports Net South and the Sunshine Network.
