Jan. 2, 2008
ATLANTA – Four Jackets scored in double-figures as the Georgia Tech women’s basketball team (13-1) picked up the program’s 450th victory with a 79-42 win over Jackson State (2-8) at Alexander Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday night.
The Jackets improved to 8-0 at home this season after finishing with 17 steals and forcing the Tigers into 29 turnovers. The swarming Tech defense also held Jackson State to only 25.9 percent shooting from the field in its second largest margin of victory this season.
“I am proud of how our team has played defensively during our pre-conference schedule,” said head coach MaChelle Joseph, who earned her 75th career victory tonight. “We know we have to step up our intensity level as we head into our second season.”
Senior Janie Mitchell led all scorers with 18 points, her eighth-straight double-digit scoring effort. Freshman Alex Montgomery finished with 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks and senior Jill Ingram added 12 points and four assists off the bench.
Tech opened the game on a 10-0 run over the first seven minutes and never looked back. The Jackets scored 20 points in the paint and 16 off turnovers to help open a 17-point halftime lead. Tech also outrebounded the Tigers 27-15 and blocked five of Jackson State’s shots before the half.
The second half began the same way as the first, with Tech scoring nine-straight points and going on an 18-4 run over the first 6:30 minutes to seal the victory for the home team. Tech opened its largest lead of the game with 3:58 remaining after a Deja Foster lay-up put the Jackets up by 40.
The Tigers were led by the deep shooting of LaShonda Gaines, who scored nine points on three three-point field goals off the bench in a losing effort.
Georgia Tech travels to North Carolina to open its Atlantic Coast Conference portion of the schedule on Saturday, Jan. 5, in a televised game against the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. The game is scheduled for 4 p.m., and will be aired on Fox Sports South in Atlanta.
“We are excited for our ACC opener this weekend,” Joseph said. “It is a great opportunity to open this part of the season at North Carolina and in front of a television audience.”
– RamblinWreck.com –
