Jan. 8, 2011
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
After opening the conference season in dramatic fashion with a 71-70 come-from-behind victory over eighth-ranked North Carolina Jan. 6, the Georgia Tech women’s basketball team will hit the road for its first ACC road game of the season when it travels to Clemson, S.C., for a Sunday afternoon matinee at Littlejohn Coliseum against the Lady Tigers.
Clemson has battled back to even its record at 8-8 on the year and helped first year head coach Itoro Coleman become the third Clemson head coach to win her first ACC league game with a 76-74 win at NC State on Jan. 6. Senior Sthefany Thomas led four Lady Tiger starters in double digits with 23 points in 29 minutes. Senior Jasmine Tate was able to corral a missed NC State shot, and convert one of two free throws to put CU up 76-74 with 7.1 seconds to play.
The Jackets opened the ACC season in a thrilling contest with UNC. With Tech trailing by seven, head coach MaChelle Joseph called a timeout with 1:06 to play. Freshman Tyaunna Marshall knocked down a deep three with two seconds on the shot clock and the Jackets forced a UNC turnover. Senior Deja Foster got a jumper in the lane, stole the ensuing inbounds pass and dished it off to junior Metra Walthour in the corner for the go-ahead three with 23.6 seconds left.
LAST TIME OUT VS. CLEMSON – 2/8/10
Clemson, S.C. (AP) – Brigitte Ardossi had 17 points and 13 rebounds and No. 21 Georgia Tech reached 20 wins for the fourth straight year with a 68-53 victory over Clemson.
Ardossi helped Tech take control of this one early with eight points during a 20-8 first-half run that put it up 27-16.
Clemson could not rally and lost its 44th straight against ranked opponents, a streak that dates to Nov. 2003.
Deja Foster scored 16 points for Georgia Tech, Sasha Goodlett had 14 and Alex Montgomery 10.
After a sluggish start, Georgia Tech turned up its pressure defense to take control.
Hardy’s two foul shots put the Tigers up 8-7 with just more than five minutes gone. That’s when the Yellow Jackets went on a 20-8 surge the next 10 minutes to move in front. Ardossi was a big reason for the run, twice finishing three-point plays for Georgia Tech.
Clemson had few answers against the Yellow Jackets defense, committing 16 turnovers and making just 8 of 29 shots in the first half.
Clemson came within nine points in the second half on April Parker’s bucket with 7:27 to go. However, Ardossi responded again with a pair of baskets that extended the Yellow Jackets lead to 58-44.
LOOKING BACK
Last season at this point, Tech was 13-3 after losing to #7/7 UNC, 89-78, to open ACC play in Chapel Hill on Jan. 6. The loss ended an eight game Tech winning streak.
COMEBACK KIDS
Despite being down seven with 1:06 to play, the Jackets didn’t quit in their ACC opener against #8/8 UNC. Ty Marshall hit an NBA range three with two seconds on the shot clock and Tech forced a turnover as the Tar Heels were unable to inbound the ball. Deja Foster got a jumper underneath the basket, stole the ball and Metra Walthour knocked down the game-winning three from the corner with 23.6 seconds left.
CAROLINA BLUES
The win over the Tar Heels was the Yellow Jackets’ third straight win over UNC at Alexander Memorial Coliseum. The win also gave Tech back-to-back wins over UNC for the first time since Jan. 9, 1991, and Feb. 22, 1991, a streak of 40 games.
BIG GAME TY
Freshman Ty Marshall has tallied at least 20 points in five games this year. Three of those games came against Top 25 teams, with two of them being against Top 10 foes. Against No. 1 Connecticut on Nov. 21, Marshall tossed in 23 points. Two weeks later against in-state rival and 21st ranked Georgia, the Upper Marlboro, Md., native finished with 20 points. Marshall’s latest installment of big game performances came in Tech’s win over No. 8 North Carolina when she finished with 24 points.
GOIN’ STREAKIN
Tech posted its 10th straight win with the victory over North Carolina on Jan. 2. It is the Jackets’ longest streak under Joseph and the longest since Tech won 10 straight from Nov. 26, 2002, to Dec. 31, 2002. North Carolina, then ranked #11/12, also ended that streak, 72-67, at AMC on Jan. 2, 2003.
The 10 consecutive wins tie the school-record for the longest single-season winning streak. The aforementioned 2002-03 squad won 10 in a row, and the 1977-78 team opened the year with 10 straight wins and won 13 straight after winning the final three games of the 1976-77 season.
Since the return of senior Deja Foster, Tech is 10-1. Foster, made her season debut against Tennessee after recovering from a knee injury in the offseason, but did not play against Tennessee State.
–RamblinWreck.com–
