Dec. 28, 2012
The Yellow Jackets will resume their schedule following an eight-day break for Christmas when Georgia Tech travels to the Sun & Fun Classic hosted by FIU in Miami, Fla. Tech will take on the Quinnipiac Bobcats (8-1) at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 29, at US Century Bank Arena. Tech will face either the host FIU Panthers or the Northeastern Huskies at Sunday in the Jackets’ final non-conference game of 2012-13.
Georgia Tech will be trying for its first three-game winning streak of the season on Saturday after downing Alcorn State and Washington in its last two games.
Freshman Aaliyah Whiteside led the Jackets against Washington on Dec. 21 with a career-high 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting. The rookie from Memphis, Tenn., added four rebounds and a steal, and did not commit a turnover in 30 minutes of play. Whiteside was named ACC Rookie of the Week following the performance.
The Bobcats come into Saturday’s game with an 8-1 record and defeated St. John’s 75-72 in their last game. QU’s only blemish on the year is a 67-61 loss at Hartford on Dec. 16. They are led by senior guard Felicia Barron with 16.9 points per game. FIU owns a 6-4 record and defeated Middle Tennessee State, 58-51, Dec. 20 in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Northeastern is 6-2 after beating UMass 78-51 Dec. 22.
LAST TIME AT SUN & FUN
Georgia Tech captured the Sun & Fun Classic title in 2009 with a 63-54 win over Hampton and a 68-57 win against FIU. Brigitte Ardossi was named the tournament MVP, while Alex Montgomery was selected to the all-tournament team.
REGULAR SEASON TOURNEYS
Georgia Tech owns a 105-28 all-time record in regular season tournaments. The Yellow Jackets have won 38 of these tournaments, including the 2009 FIU Sun & Fun Classic and the 2011 Bahamas Sunshine Shootout.
GOING STREAKING?
The last time – and only one of two times under MaChelle Joseph – Georgia Tech lost three straight non-conference games was in 2010-11. The Jackets responded by reeling off a school-record 13-consecutive wins from Nov. 27 to Jan. 21.
Georgia Tech will be looking for its third straight win against Quinnipiac after dropping three games to top 15 opponents from Nov. 28 to Dec. 6.
GOING HOME PART DEUX
Junior Dawnn Maye and freshman Brittany Jackson will be making a trip home of sorts at this weekend’s Sun & Fun Classic. Both hail from South Florida as Maye is from Fort Lauderdale and Jackson is from Sebastian River.
ROOKIE HONOR
Freshman Aaliyah Whiteside was named ACC Rookie of the Week Dec. 24 after leading the Jackets to a 52-44 win over the Washington Huskies.
Making her fourth career start, she was the only Jacket in double digits with a career-high 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting. The Memphis, Tenn., native knocked down Tech’s only 3-pointers, extending the Jackets’ streak of games with at least one three made to 83 games.
Whiteside knocked down three of her five free throw attempts, added four rebounds and only committed one turnover in 30 minutes of play.
