March 22, 2003
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) – Carrie Mason drove the lane for an uncontested layup with one second to go, giving Virginia Tech a 61-59 victory over Georgia Tech in the East Regional on Saturday.
The Hokies (22-9) led 59-53 with just over three minutes left after consecutive 3-pointers by Ieva Kublina and Chrystal Starling.
But Fallon Stokes hit two free throws and Alex Stewart scored, too, pulling the Yellow Jackets (20-11) within 59-57 with a minute remaining.
Then, after Virginia Tech’s 20th turnover, Stokes scored on a fastbreak layup to tie the game with 18 seconds left. Mason, pressured in the backcourt, was forced to call timeout, and after the Hokies got the ball in play, she took it straight to the basket for the winning points.
Kublina led Virginia Tech with 18 points, and Starling added 15. Stokes had a game-high 25 points for the Yellow Jackets.
The Hokies led the entire first half by as many as 10 points but were hurt repeatedly by turnovers and fouls. Georgia Tech pulled within 29-28 at halftime, then took its first lead on two straight baskets at the start of the second period by Stewart, who finished with 10 points.
