THE FLATS – Freshmen Elizabeth Balogun and Elizabeth Dixon led the Yellow Jackets Sunday afternoon as Georgia Tech picked up a 60-35 victory over Kennesaw State. The freshmen duo combined for 27 points and 17 rebounds. With the win, Tech improved to 8-2 overall on the season.
“The fact that we didn’t outrebound Kennesaw State is telling me that we’ve got to work on playing harder,” commented head coach MaChelle Joseph. “I think when she [Elizabeth Balogun] gets in a position where she can get a look at the basket uncontested, she’s a phenomenal shooter and scorer. I thought she did a great job of taking care of the basketball with zero turnovers.”
How It Happened
Kennesaw State led the majority of the opening quarter until Chanin Scott knotted the game with an old-fashioned three-point play at the 5:22 mark. A bucket from Lorela Cubaj with 2:09 remaining in the frame handed Tech its first and final lead of the contest as the Jackets never looked back. Tech broke open a double-digit lead in the second quarter on an Elizabeth Dixon field goal and extended its lead to as many as 17 points in the stanza.
Dixon secured Tech’s first 20-point advantage in the third frame following an Elizabeth Balogun three-pointer with 1:34 on the clock. The Jackets held their largest lead of the game, 60-33, when Scott capped a 7-0 run with just under three minutes left in the game.
Tech Tidbits
* Balogun and Dixon led the way for Tech, both finishing in double-figures
* Balogun posted a team-high 15 points to go along with eight rebounds, while Dixon added 12 points and nine rebounds
* The teams stood tied on the glass, each pulling down 40 rebounds
* Tech forced 26 Kennesaw State turnovers and utilized the miscues for 30 points
* Paced by four steals from Francesca Pan, Tech finished with 15 steals on the afternoon
* Lotta-Maj Lahtinen posted a team-high five assists
* For the game, Tech shot 42.6 percent (26-61), while KSU shot 21.1 percent (12-57)
Next Up
Next, the Jackets head to West Palm Beach, Fla., for the West Palm Invitational where they will meet Seton Hall (Dec. 20) and Dayton (Dec. 21).
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