Nov. 28, 2004
ATLANTA – Sophomores Stephanie Higgs and Kentrina Wilson came off the bench to score 16 and 13 points, respectively, and help Georgia Tech (3-0) to a 60-50 come-from-behind victory over Princeton (1-3) Sunday at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
After hitting the first shot of the game, the Yellow Jackets trailed until Higgs hit a three-pointer with 9:59 remaining to give Tech a 44-41 lead in the game. Following a game-tying three-pointer by the Tigers’ Rebecca Brown, the Yellow Jackets hit three-of-four field goals and went 9-for-13 from the charity stripe over the final 6:45 of the game to seal the 10-point win with a 37-23 edge in the final frame.
“I am really proud of our team because they found a way to win today,” said Tech head coach MaChelle Joseph. “I told our players that, to win, we were going to have to rebound, get second and third efforts and get all of the hustle points and we did.”
Higgs recorded her third double-figure scoring game of the season, and Kasha Terry tied her career-high with 14 points in the contest. Terry fell just one rebound short of a double-double while blocking a pair of Princeton shots. Wilson went 3-for-4 from the field and 6-for-6 from the charity stripe while pulling down four rebounds and blocking a pair of shots, and Higgs added seven rebounds, a block, an assist and a steal against the Tigers. Janie Mitchell scored seven points for the Jackets in the game while pulling down eight rebounds and Jessica Williams added six points, seven rebounds and two steals.
“I thought that our big players, Kasha and Jessica in particular, did a great job not only on the offensive end but also defending on the defensive end of the court because Princeton had five three-point shooters out there at all times,” said Joseph. “I also like the fact that Higgs came off the bench again and was so instrumental to the win, along with Kentrina Wilson and Janie Mitchell.”
After a jump shot by Williams to start the game, Princeton went on a 9-0 run and never trailed in the frame, taking a 27-23 lead into the locker room at the half. The Jackets were marred by poor shooting in the first half, connecting on just 25 percent from the field and only 11.1 percent from the three-point arc. Georgia Tech also hit just 6-of-12 from the free-throw line, while the Tigers connected on all five shots from the charity stripe.
The Jackets pulled within one point with 18:15 remaining in the game when Terry converted on a three-point play after she was fouled by Rebecca Brown on an inbound pass. Following a free throw by Meagan Cowher and a jumper by Kristin Lynch, Williams hit a layup to pull Tech to within two at 30-28, but Princeton’s Katie Digovich then hit a pair of three-pointers, making the score 36-28 in favor of the Tigers. The Jackets responded with an 8-0 run, including a three-pointer by Stephanie Higgs that tied the game at 36-36 with 12:53 remaining in the contest.
The Tigers were led by Digovich’s 13-point performance.
The Yellow Jackets will return to action when they host the University of Georgia Bulldogs Friday at Alexander Memorial Coliseum. The game will tip-off at 7 p.m. and be broadcast on Comcast Sports Southeast and WREK-Radio, 91.1 FM in Atlanta. Fans may follow the game via livestats at www.ramblinwreck.com.
