Jan. 5, 2011
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
The Georgia Tech women’s basketball team is riding a nine-game winning streak heading into ACC play, which begins Thursday, Jan. 6. The Yellow Jackets, who have won by an average of 29.0 points during their current streak, will host the eighth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels, who boast a perfect 14-0 record on the season.Tech will not only be looking to extend its current winning streak, but also to win its third straight game over UNC at Alexander Memorial Coliseum and its second straight outing against the Tar Heels, something that hasn’t happened since Jan. 9, 1991, and Feb. 22, 1991, a streak of 40 games.
The Tar Heels have the nation’s fifth highest scoring offense, averaging 86.2 ppg and the second highest average margin of victory, winning by 34.4 ppg. While the Jackets have been hot, shooting 47.8 percent from the field over the last nine games, UNC also leads the country in field goal percentage defense, holding its opponents to just 29.7 percent from the field.
Senior Alex Montgomery continues to lead the Jackets in scoring, tossing in 14.8 ppg, but freshman Tyaunna Marshall is closing in with 13.9 ppg. Over the past week, Marshall tossed in 22.0 ppg in three contests, including twice where she finished with 25 and earned her fourth ACC Rookie of the Week honor this season.
LAST TIME OUT VS. UNC – 2/26/10
Atlanta – A career night by Alex Montgomery helped No. 22 Georgia Tech take another step toward a historic season.
Montgomery had 20 points and a career-high 15 rebounds and Brigitte Ardossi added 18 points in Tech’s 64-57 victory over North Carolina.
The Yellow Jackets outrebounded the Tar Heels 48-32 and hit 27 of 33 free throws while North Carolina made only 12 of 18.
Ceter DeGraffenreid had 25 points for North Carolina, which has lost seven of eight.
Sasha Goodlett gave Tech the lead for good at 56-55 with 1:36 left when she made one of two free throws.
A 3-point basket by DeGraffenreid with 28.2 seconds left got the Tar Heels to 59-57, but Tech made five of six free throws the rest of the way – two each by Metra Walthour and Montgomery and one by Deja Foster, who added 11 points.
Foster had two key offensive rebounds she turned into baskets – one with 3:04 left to give Tech a 53-52 lead and another with 2:06 remaining to tie it at 55.
Ardossi scored 12 of her points in the second half and was 10-of-10 at the free throw line.
LOOKING BACK
Last season at this point, Tech was 13-3 after losing to #7/7 North Carolina, 89-78, to open ACC play in Chapel Hill on Jan. 6. The loss ended an eight game Tech winning streak.
CAROLINA BLUES
The Yellow Jackets enter Thursday’s game looking for their second straight win over the Tar Heels for the first time since Jan. 9, 1991, and Feb. 22, 1991, a streak of 40 games.
Tech will also be looking for its third straight win over North Carolina at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
HEY, ROOK
Freshman Ty Marshall has earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors four times this season. She was named co-rookie after week one, and named top rookie after weeks two, four and eight.
Marshall is the first ACC rookie to win the award at least four times in a season since Boston College’s Carolyn Swords and Stefanie Murphy won it four and five times, respectively, during the 2007-08 season. Wake Forest’s Tracy Connor holds the record for most ACC Rookie of the Week honors, having won it nine times in 1992-92.
Marshall is the first Yellow Jacket to earn multiple ACC Rookie of the Week honors since Alex Montgomery had two in 2007-08. Marshall is also the first Yellow Jacket to win the honor in consecutive weeks since Niesha Butler earned it three straight times, Nov. 23, Nov. 30 and Dec. 7, to begin the 1998-99 season and also won it back-to-back on Jan. 25 and Feb.
TECH’S WINS AGAINST RANKED FOES
All-time, Tech has notched 29 wins against ranked foes. Tech has defeated North Carolina five times when the Tar Heels have entered the contest ranked.
The highest ranked squad the Yellow Jackets have defeated was when North Carolina was ranked #2/3 and left Alexander Memorial Coliseum with a 66-62 loss on Jan. 22, 2009.
Of the 10 Tech players who saw action against the Tar Heels, five are active for this matchup with UNC. On the bench for that game was current head coach MaChelle Joseph.
The then-sophomore Alex Montgomery led the Yellow Jackets to victory over UNC with 17 points and 10 rebounds. She also grabbed four steals and dished out three assists against the Tar Heels.
JOSEPH KNOWS HOW TO TAKE DOWN THE RANKED
Since head coach MaChelle Joseph took the reins of the Tech program prior to the 2003-04 season, the Yellow Jackets have beaten six ranked foes. During her playing days at Purdue, Joseph helped the Boilermakers to 13 wins over ranked opponents in four years.
–RamblinWreck.com–
