Nov. 2, 2015
THE FLATS – The Georgia Tech women’s basketball team came out strong in its first contest of the season, defeating West Georgia, 77-35, in an exhibition game at McCamish Pavilion on Monday.
“The thing I liked most about today is how we shared the basketball,” head coach MaChelle Joseph said. “I thought we played a lot of people double minutes and we were really unselfish. Obviously we missed a lot of shots that we need to make down the road but I was really impressed with some of our lineups and how hard we competed and shared the basketball.”
How it Happened
The Yellow Jackets were explosive in the first period, running out to a 15-0 lead against West Georgia. Senior Roddreka Rogers and sophomore Antonia Peresson teamed up to score the first nine points for the Yellow Jackets and a Tech tough defense held the Wolves to without a field goal until the 1:23 mark in the first period. Georgia Tech finished off the first frame with and 22-6 lead. The Yellow Jackets held West Georgia to just nine points in the second period on the way to a 34-15 halftime advantage.
The third period followed the same script of the first half with Georgia Tech outscoring the Wolves, 16-7, and holding them to just 2-of-14 shooting from the floor. The Yellow Jackets cemented their victory with a 14-0 run that spanned from a 1:03 left in the third period to 6:26 in the fourth period that put the hosts ahead, 62-22, and included five points from junior Katarina Vuckovic. The final score was Georgia Tech’s largest lead of the game, with the Jackets coming out 43 points ahead of the Wolves, 77-35.
Inside the Box Score
Vuckovic led the way on offense with 15 points, shooting 60 percent (6-for-10) from the floor. Rogers made her presence felt on the boards, grabbing 16 rebounds. She also scored 10 points for a double-double. Both senior Aaliyah Whiteside and Peresson scored 13 points apiece. Peresson sank a team-best three three pointers while Whiteside led the Jackets with four steals.
The Yellow Jackets were exceptionally strong in the paint, outscoring West Georgia, 42-2. The Yellow Jackets held an advantage on the boards, 53-24, and scored 19 points off of the Wolves’ 21 turnovers.
News and Notes
– This was the sixth meeting between the two teams in school history and the first since 1985.
– This was the first contest for Georgia Tech with the new NCAA rules in women’s basketball. One of the major changes is that the games are now played in four periods instead of two halves.
Next Up
The Yellow Jackets open up the 2015-16 season with Loyola Chicago on Friday, Nov. 13, at 5:30 p.m. at McCamish Pavilion.
–TogetherWeSwarm–
