Jan. 13, 2013
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Freshman Brittany Jackson scored a game-high 20 points for the second straight game and Georgia Tech (8-8, 1-4 ACC) outscored No. 11/20 North Carolina (17-1, 5-0 ACC) in the second half but the Tar Heels claimed a 79-58 win at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C., Sunday afternoon.
It was the third 20-plus point game for Jackson this year and she leads Georgia Tech in 3-pointers made with 24. The rookie from Sebastian, Fla., was 4-of-9 from 3-point range and 6-of-7 from the free throw line against the Tar Heels and finished with 20 points in only 26 minutes of play. Junior Tyaunna Marshall finished with 15 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals in 28 minutes.
“I think you can see why Carolina is ranked in the top 25 and 17-1 on the season,” head coach MaChelle Joseph said. “I’m really impressed with how hard they are playing this year. I give them a lot of credit. It’s a tough situation for my young team to play in. We lost six players from a year ago. We’re getting better every day, some days it shows, some days it doesn’t. I’m trying to grow this program long term and I really feel good about the freshmen, the way they competed there at the end of the game and have competed throughout the season. And Ty Marshall has tried to carry us throughout the course of the season. We lost a lot from our senior class last season and we’re just trying to get better every day.”
After Jackson put the Yellow Jackets on the board first with a 3-pointer at the 17:31 mark, UNC went on a 22-0 run and held Tech without a point until Danielle Hamilton-Carter’s layup on a Marshall assist at the 8:40 mark. Two quick Tech baskets got the Jackets back to 22-9 and forced a Carolina timeout with 7:33 left in the first half.
“I didn’t think we came out and played Georgia Tech basketball, that’s what I told my team in the lockerroom,” Joseph said. “One of the things we’ve struggled with all year is our inside game. When you lose a player like Sasha Goodlett, it’s almost impossible to replace her in one year. We have some freshmen and some young kids that I think can help, but we’re a year away from that. In the last two games, we outscored Virginia in the last 31 minutes and tonight we outscored North Carolina in the second half, we’re just not getting off to good starts and that’s the sign of a young team.”
Tech used a 12-3 run to pull within 25-15 and forced a second North Carolina timeout with 6:14 remaining in the first half. Megan Buckland made a 3-pointer out of the timeout and the Tar Heels out-scored the Jackets 16-2 the rest of the half.
The Yellow Jackets struggled to get anything going offensively in the first half and shot just 24.2 percent in the opening 20 minutes. The Heels’ 53.3 percent first half shooting performance was the highest a Tech opponent shot in the first half this year and UNC held a 41-17 lead at intermission.
Georgia Tech trimmed the North Carolina lead to 15, 44-29, on another Jackson three just before the first media timeout of the second half.
UNC extended its lead to 27, 64-37, at the 7:05 mark and Tech rallied to get back within 15 again, 70-55, on another Jackson 3-pointer but the Jackets couldn’t overcome the halftime deficit.
Tech out-scored the Tar Heels 41-38 in the second half and won the rebounding battle 43-27.
Tech makes its first back-to-back road trip of the season when the Jackets travel to Coral Gables to face the Miami Hurricanes at 7:05 p.m. ET Thursday night at the BankUnited Center. The contest with the Canes can be heard live on WREK 91.1 FM or through RamblinWreck.com.
Fans are encouraged to follow Georgia Tech women’s basketball on Twitter, @GTWBB, and like the Yellow Jackets on Facebook, GTWomensBasketball, for an inside look at the program.
–RamblinWreck.com–
