Aug. 31, 2011
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech women’s basketball team announced the non-conference portion of its 2011-12 schedule Wednesday, highlighted by contests with five squads which made the 2011 NCAA Tournament along with a pair of holiday trips to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Nassau, Bahamas.
The Yellow Jackets will play all home non-conference games at The Arena at Gwinnett Center while Tech’s on-campus facility undergoes a makeover from Alexander Memorial Coliseum to McCamish Pavilion, scheduled to open for the 2012-13 season.
“I am extremely excited to begin the 2011-12 season,” head coach MaChelle Joseph said. “We have again put together a non-conference schedule which will challenge us, and help prepare us for the difficult ACC season and NCAA Tournament.
“We don’t have a player on our team who has missed an NCAA Tournament,” Joseph continued. “I believe our schedule gives us a great opportunity to be successful and continue that streak. We are facing five teams which played in last year’s NCAA Tournament and four teams from three different major conferences. I believe this variety of teams and styles will prove a benefit to us as the season goes on. Our five seniors are anxious and excited to lead this team and program to new heights.”
Georgia Tech will open its season on Friday, Nov. 11, against the Alabama State Lady Hornets, which will be a double header with the Georgia Tech men’s team, who will face Florida A&M in head coach Brian Gregory’s Yellow Jacket debut. The Jackets have faced Alabama State once previously, claiming a 76-46 win in December 2006.
The Yellow Jackets will look to exact some revenge on the Old Dominion Lady Monarchs, who won 20 games and finished tied for second in the CAA, on Sunday, Nov. 13. Tech trails tradition-rich ODU 2-1 in the all-time series after the Lady Monarchs claimed a 65-63 win in Norfolk, Va., last season.
Tech will make its first road trip of the season when the Jackets travel to Milwaukee, Wis., to face the Marquette Golden Eagles for the first time in the Big 6 Challenge, an initiative to create more matchups between “big six” conferences, on Saturday, Nov. 19. The Golden Eagles finished last season 24-9 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling 79-70 at No. 1 seed Tennessee.
Georgia Tech returns home to face Kennesaw State on Tuesday, Nov. 22. The Yellow Jackets ran their record to a perfect 6-0 over the Owls as Chelsea Regins and LaQuananisha Adams each tied career-best scoring marks in a 79-60 win last season.
Joseph will again take her team on a working holiday trip over Thanksgiving when the Yellow Jackets travel to the San Juan Shootout, where they will face Rutgers on Friday, Nov. 25, and Green Bay on Saturday, Nov. 26. The Scarlet Knights posted a 20-13 overall record last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champion Texas A&M. The Green Bay Phoenix posted a stellar 34-2 record, including a perfect 18-0 mark in Horizon League action and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 before losing to No. 1 seed Baylor.
Georgia Tech will return to Atlanta and host Big Ten newcomer Nebraska in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday, Nov. 30. The only previous meeting between Georgia Tech and Nebraska came on March 27, 1992, as the Yellow Jackets downed the Cornhuskers 73-68 in the semifinals of the National Women’s Invitational Tournament in Amarillo, Texas.
Nebraska finished last season with a 13-18 overall record and a 3-13 mark in the Big 12. The Yellow Jackets are a perfect 4-0 in the Challenge and the Cornhuskers will be the fifth different team Tech has faced in the annual intra-conference match-up. Maryland and Michigan are the only other teams to sport spotless records in the series.
The Yellow Jackets will begin the month of a December by traveling to Athens to face the rival Georgia Lady Bulldogs on December 4. Georgia finished last season 23-11 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 before falling to eventual national champion Texas A&M. In last year’s matchup, the Jackets tallied their largest win ever in the series, 69-53 win in Atlanta.
Tech will bookend finals week with road games at Middle Tennessee State on Sunday, Dec. 11, and Georgia State on Friday, Dec. 16. Georgia Tech leads the MTSU Blue Raiders 1-0 after a 68-48 win in Atlanta last season. The Yellow Jackets are 23-11 all-time against Georgia State following a 66-56 season-opening win a year ago. The Blue Raiders posted a 23-8 record last year and made the NCAA Tournament, falling in the first round.
With the Jackets not having a true home court this season, Joseph will take her team on a second tropical trip when Tech travels to the Bahamas Sunshine Shootout in Nassau, Bahamas for contests against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Monday, December 19, and Central Arkansas on Wednesday, Dec. 21. It will be the first time Georgia Tech has faced either program.
Georgia Tech’s only home contest in the month of December will come in the non-conference finale on Thursday, Dec. 29, when the North Carolina A&T Aggies travel to Atlanta, which will also be the first time the two sides have squared off.
Georgia Tech will also host eight Atlantic Coast Conference games, which are expected to be announced in mid-September by the league office. Fans who are interested in purchasing tickets can visit www.RamblinWreck.com or call 1-888-TECH-TIX.
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.
2011-12 Georgia Tech Women’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule
Nov. 11 Alabama State
Nov. 13 Old Dominion
Nov. 19 at Marquette (Big 6 Challenge)
Nov. 22 Kennesaw State
Nov. 25 vs. Rutgers (San Juan Shootout)
Nov. 26 vs. Green Bay (San Juan Shootout)
Nov. 30 Nebraska (ACC/Big Ten Challenge)
Dec. 4 at Georgia
Dec. 11 at Middle Tennessee State
Dec. 16 at Georgia State
Dec. 19 vs. SIU-Edwardsville (Bahamas Sunshine Shootout)
Dec. 21 vs. Central Arkansas (Bahamas Sunshine Shootout)
Dec. 29 North Carolina A&T
Bold indicates home game at The Arena at Gwinnett Center
–RamblinWreck.com–
