ATLANTA (Feb. 27) — Sophomore Milli Martinez came off the bench to score a team-high 14 points to lead three Georgia Tech players in double figures as the Yellow Jackets downed Maryland, 60-49, Sunday in their Atlantic Coast Conference women’s basketball regular season finale.
Junior Jaime Kruppa added 13 for the Jackets (14-12 overall, 7-9 ACC), and junior Regina Tate added 10 points and nine boards. Maryland (14-13 overall, 5-11 ACC) was led by Deedee Warley, who finished with a game-high 18 points. Marche Strickland added 14 for the Terrapins.
The Jackets used a 20-6 run midway through the second half to take control of the game after watching Maryland cut an 11-point deficit down to six.
Tech freshman Amy Lingenfelder put the Jackets up 34-23 on a layup with 17:23 to play before the Terps scored five straight points to close to within 34-28 with 16:26 left.
Martinez keyed the Jackets’ run, starting the scoring with a 14-foot jumper. She finished with eight points during the Tech spurt and had 10 of her team-high 14 points in the second half.
A Kruppa Layup with 6:34 to play gave the Jackets their largest lead of 22 at 56-34. Maryland got no closer than 11 at game’s end.
The game was the final home game for Tech senior Danielle Donehew, who finished with six points on the day.
With the win, the Jackets clinched the No. 6 seed in the upcoming ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament in Greensboro, N.C.. The Jackets will open the tourney with third-seeded NC State at 6 p.m. Saturday. With the loss, Maryland will be the tournament’s seventh seed and play eighth-seeded Florida State at 6 p.m. Friday.
