THE FLATS – A last second shot to force overtime from Dani Carnegie didn’t fall as No. 20 Georgia Tech dropped a 73-70 decision to Florida State on Sunday afternoon. Freshmen Tianna Thompson and Carnegie combined to score 29 points in the matinee. Prior to tipoff, the Yellow Jackets honored its senior class of Kayla Blackshear and Zoe Smith on Senior Day.
The Yellow Jackets (21-7, 9-7 ACC) held the lead the majority of the first half and carried a 19-16 advantage into the second quarter. Thompson checked into the game and immediately provided a spark off the bench, scoring nine points in the second period, helping Tech build out an eight-point lead, 28-20. But the Seminoles chipped away and trailed by a possession, 34-31, at halftime.
Florida State came out of the break and won the third quarter, 26-15, opening a 55-45 lead off a Sydney Bowles three-pointer at the 2:45 mark. The Seminoles would extend their lead to 62-49 early in the fourth quarter before the Jackets began to rally back. Thompson hit her second triple of the game at the 8:25 mark, igniting a 14-2 Jacket run to come within 64-63 with 3:00 left to play. Thompson fueled the run with five points, while Carnegie added four in the five-minute spurt.
As the clock continued to tick, Thompson would tie the game at 66-66, connecting on her third three-pointer of the day with 2:01 to go. After the teams traded baskets with Carnegie tying the game at 68-68, FSU posted four unanswered before Thompson hit a driving layup with 8.1 ticks left, setting up a 72-70 FSU lead. The Seminoles went 1-for-4 at the free throw line over the final seven seconds and the Jackets put the ball in Carnegie’s hands for the final possession, but a three-pointer wouldn’t fall as time expired.
Tech shot 41.9 percent (31-74) from the field and won the rebounding battle, 40-37. Thompson finished with a career-high 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including a trio of three-pointers, while Carnegie added 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Tech recorded 26 assists on 31 made field goals, led by six from Smith and five from Inés Noguero.
Florida State was paced offensively by Sydney Bowles with 32 points and Makayla Timpson with 19 points and 16 rebounds. The Seminoles converted 10-of-17 at the free throw line, while Tech was 2-for-4.
Georgia Tech heads out west for a two-game swing in California to close the regular season. The Yellow Jackets open the stretch at California on Thursday, Feb. 27. Tip is slated for 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
Georgia Tech honored its senior class prior to tipoff.
Dani Carnegie postgame press conference against Florida State
Head coach Nell Fortner postgame press conference
GEORGIA TECH WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CELEBRATES 50 YEARS
Georgia Tech is celebrating the 50th anniversary of women’s basketball on The Flats this season. Under the direction of coach Jim Culpepper, Georgia Tech competed its first year in the Georgia Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (GAIAW) in 1974-75 before joining the ACC in 1979-80. Tech has seen many highlights over 50 years, including playing in the NCAA Tournament 11 times, with two Sweet 16 appearances (2012, 2021), and producing nine WNBA draft picks, featuring first round draft picks Alex Montgomery and Sasha Goodlett. In its first postseason berth in school history, Georgia Tech captured the 1992 National Women’s Invitational Tournament. Currently in its sixth season under head coach Nell Fortner, the Yellow Jackets have reach postseason play three times in the last five years.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
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