Women's Hoops Hosts Alabama A&M on Saturday

Dec. 6, 2013

The Georgia Tech women’s basketball team (5-2) looks to continue its three-game winning streak at McCamish Pavilion on Saturday against Alabama A&M (0-5) at 4:30 p.m.

Saturday’s game is the second half of a double-header with the men’s basketball team. Fans that bring a new/unwrapped toy to McCamish Pavilion to donate to the Michael Isenhour Toy Drive will receive free admission to the women’s game. Also, fans are encouraged to bring a teddy bear or stuffed animal for a Teddy Bear Toss. Fans will be able to toss their stuffed animals onto the court during halftime of the women’s game.

Parking for the women’s game will open at 3 p.m. and will be available on the lower deck of the Peters parking garage and in the Family Housing Lot for free.

As always, tune into WREK 91.1 to listen to the action or follow along with live stats on GameTracker.

TECH TIDBITS
– After scoring a season-high 27 points against Illinois, senior Tyaunna Marshall moved into fifth place on the Georgia Tech career scoring list with 1,616 career points. Marshall is 340 points away from breaking Kisha Ford’s all-time record of 1,955 and 55 points away from besting Carla Munnion’s (1995-98) 1,671 career points for fourth place.
– Out of the Jackets’ five wins so far this season, four games have been won by 20 or more points with its biggest margin of victory being 40 points against Western Carolina.
– In six out of Tech’s seven games, one Jacket has scored 20 points or more. Freshman Kaela Davis notched 20+ in each of the first three games while Marshall recorded 20+ points in each game of the LIU Turkey Classic and 27 against Illinois – Three Jackets have recorded at least one double-double so far this season: Davis (2), Rogers (2) and Marshall (1)
– Tech has forced 133 turnovers so far this season and has capitalized on those turnovers to score 139 points
– 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
– Sophomore Nariah Taylor scored a career 14 points against Coppin State while redshirt senior Shayla Bivins scored a career-high eight against Illinois

A WIN WOULD…
– Be the 199th win of Coach Joseph’s career, putting her one win shy of becoming only the second Yellow Jacket coach to reach the 200 milestone – Be the first ever against Alabama A&M since this is the first time the two teams are meeting – Make Tech 297-186 during home games overall – Keep the Jackets undefeated at home at 4-0

GOOD WORK ON & OFF THE COURT Redshirt senior Shayla Bivins has been tabbed as one of 202 nominees for the 2014 Allstate WBCA and NABC Good Works Team. The Good Works Team honors players at all levels of college basketball who represent the sport’s finest in the areas of leadership and charitable achievements amongst their peers.

On the court, Bivins has had a great start to her final season as a Yellow Jacket. The center has started every game so far and is averaging 4.4 points per game and a team-high 1.3 blocks per game. Most recently, Bivins was named to the LIU Turkey Classic All-Tournament Team after scoring six points in the championship game while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out a team-high five assists. She scored a career-high eight points against Illinois.

A LOOK AT ALABAMA A&M
The Bulldogs are looking for its first win of the season, after losing five-straight to open up the 2013-14 campaign. Alabama A&M is under the direction of first year head coach Semeka Randall. Randall came to the Bulldogs following a five-year stint at Ohio University.

The Bulldogs most recently fell to East Tennessee State, 82-65. Brittney Strickland led Alabama A&M in scoring, notching 22 points. Strickland leads the Bulldogs in both points, 12.0, and assist, 2.4.

BACK AT IT
Senior Tyaunna Marshall has reemerged as a game-changer for the Yellow Jackets. Marshall led the Jackets in scoring for the third-straight game, scoring 27 points against Illinois.

Marshall has scored 20 or more points in 27 games in her career. The Jackets are 21-6 when she notches 20+ points.

After a slow-start to the season, Marshall back to her usual ways at the LIU Turkey Classic, averaging 20.5 points, 8.0 rebound and 2.0 steals at the tournament. Marshall was named the Tournament MVP and recorded her first double-double of the season, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Marshall is second on the team in scoring with 16.0 ppg and is second in rebounding with 6.8 rpg. She is averaging 2.5 steals per game, a team-high. Prior to the Thanksgiving tournament in Brooklyn, Marshall averaged only 9.3 ppg.

CRASHING THE BOARDS
The Yellow Jackets have outrebounded their opponents in six of their seven games this season and are 5-1 when doing so.The Jackets hold a +9.0 rebounding margin against opponents, which ranks sixth in the ACC. Tech averages 46.7 grabs per game.

At halftime against Illinois on Dec. 4, the Jackets held a 29-15 advantage in rebounds, grabbing more offensive boards (18) than the Illini had total rebounds.

Tech ranks second in the ACC in offensive rebounds (19.1 rpg) and eighth in defensive rebounds (27.6). Rogers leads Tech on the glass with 9.1 rpg, which ranks sixth in the conference. She is also third in the ACC in offensive rebounds, averaging 4.1 per game.

ROAD BUMPS
Tech’s only two losses this season have been to ranked teams – #4/3 Tennessee and #23/21 Georgia. The losses were only by a combined 18 points. Tennessee and Georgia are a combined 15-0 this season.

CHASING 200
As she enters her 11th season at the helm of the Yellow Jackets, head coach MaChelle Joseph has a chance to become only the second Georgia Tech head coach to win 200 games on the Flats.

Joseph currently has 198 wins, needing just two more to eclipse the mark. Her predecessor, Agnus Berenato, is the only women’s basketball coach at Tech to finish with at least 200 wins. Berenato finished her 15-year tenure leading the Yellow Jackets with a 223-209 record.

FOLLOW THE YELLOW JACKETS
For an inside look at the program, follow Georgia Tech women’s basketball on Twitter, @GTWBB, Instagram, GTWBB, and like the Yellow Jackets on Facebook, GTWomensBasketball.