CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (Feb. 8) – The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets received an outstanding team effort and defeated the 24th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers, 87-70, at University Hall Feb. 8.
Four Georgia Tech players scored in double figures, led by junior Milli Martinez 20-point performance off the bench. Martinez, who started Techs first 21 games of the season, also added seven rebounds.
“This was a really, really big win for us,” Georgia Tech head coach Agnus Berenato said. “It was our first win ever in Charlottesville. We had been struggling lately and this was a test of resiliency for us. We played a great game against a very good Virginia team.”
The Yellow Jackets led for most of the game, never trailing after the 10:21 mark in the first half. But the Cavaliers fought back, trimming what was once a 10-point lead to just one with 6:26 remaining in the game.
Martinez scored the next seven points of the game to put the Jackets up 69-61 and Tech never looked back. Freshman Fallon Stokes, who scored eight points and set a career high with 11 rebounds, helped preserve the victory with two huge offensive rebounds and two free throws in the final minute.
Sophomore Sonja Mallory posted the third double-double of her career with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Sophomore Nina Barlin added 17 points and six assists and sank nine free throws in the final 2:11 to help the Yellow Jackets pull away. Sophomore Niesha Butler scored 11 points, the 21st time this year she has scored in double figures.
Senior Jaime Kruppa also got in on the action, grabbing nine rebounds as she helped Georgia Tech dominate the boards, out-rebounding the taller Cavaliers, 55-37. The Yellow Jackets pulled down 26 offensive rebounds to Virginias 15 and out-scored the Wahoos 32-8 on second chance points.
Schuye LaRue led Virginia with 24 points, 12 rebounds and four assists and Svetlana Volnaya added 18 points and five rebounds.
“We pulled together,” Martinez said. “We had a great team win. It would be easy to give up after losing some games. But were athletes and we love the game. We dont give up. I think we matured from our past games.”
Georgia Techs first win in 21 games in Charlottesville gave the Yellow Jackets a season sweep in the series and snapped a six-game conference losing streak.
Georgia Tech improved to 12-10 overall and 3-8 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and hosts fourth-ranked Duke on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Virginia fell to 15-10 overall and 6-6 in the ACC.
