Women's Hoops Hosts #13 North Carolina Thursday

Feb. 5, 2014

The Georgia Tech women’s basketball team (14-8, 4-5 ACC) welcomes #13/11 North Carolina (17-5, 5-3 ACC) for a Thursday night tilt at McCamish Pavilion at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 with Mike DeGeorge and Kurt Hoyt on the call. Fans can also listen to Richard Musterer and LaQuananisha Adams call the game on WREK 91.1.

On Thursday, the Yellow Jackets will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Prior to the game, the softball, women’s tennis, swimming and diving and volleyball teams will be holding a Q&A session in the Callaway club. All Georgia Tech female student-athletes will be honored during the game. At halftime of the game, the 2014 Women Out Front class will be honored. Made up of 10 females, the Women Out Front class will be recognized for their positive influence in the community.

The Jackets will also have three guest coaches against the Tar Heels. Georgia President G. P. Peterson and First Lady Val Peterson will be joined by Dr. Jan Davis as guest coaches. Since the Petersons joined the Georgia Tech family five years ago, they have been tireless ambassadors for Georgia Tech in the community, the state, and the nation. . Dr. Davis was the first female Georgia Tech graduate to become a NASA astronaut.

Parking for Thursday’s Game
Family Housing deck (ER66) parking garage off of 10th street will be available for women’s basketball fans and will be free of charge.

TECH TIDBITS
– Senior Tyaunna Marshall is in second place on the Georgia Tech career scoring list with 1,924 career points. Marshall is 32 points away from breaking Kisha Ford’s all-time record of 1,955. To become the first Jacket to reach 2,000 points by the last game of the regular season against Boston College, Marshall needs to average 10.9 ppg. She is currently averaging 19.2 ppg.
– In the last six of eight games, Marshall has scored at least 20 points. She has averaged 22.5 ppg over that stretch.
– Out of the Jackets’ 14 wins so far this season, 10 games have been won by 20 or more points with its biggest margin of victory being 50 points against Portland State.
– In 10 out of 22 games, the Jackets have scored at least 80 points. Tech is averaging 80.0 ppg.
– In 17 out of Tech’s 22 games, at least one Jacket has scored 20 points or more. Davis has scored 20+ in nine games while Marshall has scored at least 20 in 11. Both Marshall and Davis scored more than 20 against UTEP, Clemson and #6 Maryland.
-The Jackets were on a 15-game streak of outrebounding their opponents, until Virginia Tech edged the Jackets by one rebound. Tech has won the rebounding battle in 19 out of 22 games this season and average 45.3 rpg.
– With her 2.5 made 3-pointers a game, freshman Kaela Davis ranks 49th in the nation and fifth in the ACC. She leads the Jackets with 56 made 3-pointers.
– The Yellow Jackets averaged an impressive 92 points per game at home during its non-conference portion of its schedule on its way to a 7-0 record at McCamish.
– The Jackets set a new school record, making 13 3-pointers against Western Carolina
– Prior to the game against Western Carolina, the Jackets’ school record was 12 3-point baskets made, which was against Mercer exactly 7 years prior, on Nov. 10, 2006

A WIN WOULD…
– Be the first time this season the Jackets won back-to-back ACC games
– Give the Jackets its first win against a top-25 opponent since a 76-64 win against #17/16 Georgetown on March 20, 2012
– Make the Jackets 18-53 against UNC overall
– Be the third win at home against the Tar Heels in the past four meetings in Atlanta
– Be the seventh win in the last 11 meetins against the Tar Heels
– Make Coach Joseph 208-130 overall

BY THE NUMBERS
An inside look at the statistical differences in the Yellow Jackets’ wins and losses:
– In wins, Tech is averaging 87.0 ppg. In losses, the Jackets have averaged 67.8 ppg.
– In wins, Tech allows only 61.2 ppg. In losses, opponents have tallied 76.2 ppg.
– In wins, opponents are shooting only 47.3 percent from the field. In losses, opponents are shooting at 43.3 percent.
– In wins, Tech is out-rebounding opponents by 11.6 boards per game. In losses, Tech is out-rebounding opponents by 0.3 per game.
– In wins, Tech is averaging 28 free throw attempts per game. In losses, the Jackets are only getting 18 attempts from the stripe.
– In wins, Marshall is averaging 20.0 ppg and Davis is averaging 19.0 ppg. Marshall averages 18.0 ppg and Davis averages 16.5 ppg in losses.

A LOOK AT THE TAR HEELS
The#13/11 Tar Heels (17-5, 5-3 ACC) leads the ACC in both field goal percentage defense (34.8%) and steals (12.7), and is second in blocks (5.1) per game. For the first time since February 2012, Carolina lost back-to-back games after having won 12 of its previous 13 contests, before falling to Syracuse and Miami last week.

The Tar Heels have four players averaging double-figures in scoring – Diamond DeShields (16.6 ppg), Allisha Gray (13.9), Stephanie Mavunga (12.4) and Xylina McDaniel (12.3). All four are freshman besides McDaniel who is a sophomore. Mavunga leads the Tar Heels on the boards, averaging 9.3 rebounds per game.

RECORD BOOK WATCH
Senior Tyaunna Marshall has 1,924 career points, which ranks second on Georgia Tech’s all-time list. Marshall needs 32 points to become Tech’s all-time leading scorer. Kisha Ford (1994-97) holds the record with 1,955 points. Marshall is one of just five Yellow Jackets all-time with at least 1,500 career points and 600 career rebounds.

To become the first Jacket to reach 2,000 points by the last game of the regular season against Boston College, Marshall needs to average 10.9 ppg. She is currently averaging 19.2 ppg.

HIGH SCORING JACKETS
The Yellow Jackets are avergaing 80.0 ppg during the 2013-14 season. They have scored at least 80 points in 11 games, at least 90 in five games and hit the 100 point mark twice this season. Tech’s 80.0 ppg ranks fifth in the ACC and checking in at 19th in the nation. This is the highest average of points for a Tech team since the 1990-91 season when the Jackets averaged 84.3 ppg. The Jackets have outscored their opponents by a +13.3 margin so far, which is sixth in the ACC and 25th in the NCAA.

HITTING THE 30 MARK
Davis had a season-high 31 points against Clemson, marking the second time this season that a Yellow Jacket has scored 31 points. Davis’ 31 points led Tech in the overtime loss against Clemson, 80-79. Davis scored six of the Jackets eight points in overtime.

Marshall led the Jackets against Virginia Tech, scoring 30 points against the Hokies. This was the second time that Marshall scored 30 points in her career. The first was against Miami last season, where she scored a career-high 37. Marshall also led the Jackets in rebounds, seven, and assists, five, marking the second time this season that she led the Jackets in all three columns. In the last five of seven games, Marshall has scored at least 20 points. She has averaged 22.4 ppg over that stretch. Her 23 point performance against #23/24 NC State marked her 100th career game scoring in double figures.

STEPPING UP IN CONFERENCE PLAY
Marshall is averaging a team-high 22.0 ppg and 7.6 rpg in ACC games. She has scored at least 20 points in six of nine conference games this season. Davis has been averaging 17.6 ppg against conference opponents and averages 2.6 made 3-pointers in ACC play. Sophomore Nariah Taylor has emerged as a force against ACC opponents, averaging 7.8 ppg and 3.4 rpg. She is shooting 49 percent from the floor in conference games (30-for-61).

The Jackets rank fifth in scoring in conference play with 74.2 ppg. Tech is in ninth in scoring defense, allowing 71.2 ppg in conference play. Four of the Jackets’ five conference losses have come to teams ranked in the top-25 or receiving votes in this week’s AP poll.

Next Up
The Yellow Jackets hit the road again, traveling to Miami on Sunday at 2 p.m. The game against the Hurricanes will be broadcast on Comcast Sports Southeast.