Georgia Tech’s women’s basketball team split their final two matches of the regular season, beating Virginia Tech 76-43 and losing to Virginia 103-101.
The game against Virginia Tech featured Georgia Tech in special uniforms that were in the style of the 1979 team. While they respected their past with the custom suits, they also overtook some of the records of the very players and teams they were paying tribute to in the historical game.
Senior Jill Ingram set a new ACC record with 14 steals. The record had just been set by teammate junior Jacqua Williams just two months ago in a game against North Carolina, when Williams had 11 steals.
Georgia Tech led Virginia Tech for almost all of the first half, but the game was competitive and saw the two teams trade baskets. The Jackets were able to extend the lead to as much as 11 halfway through the first, but allowed the Hokies to get back and close the lead. The two teams went to the locker room with Georgia Tech leading 29-28.
While the game was close for much of the first half, Georgia Tech ran away with the game in the second. An opening 12-0 run extended Georgia Tech’s lead to double-digits and they never looked back, building on that lead for the course of the second half.
Ingram was not the only one breaking records as both teams claimed several. The margin of victory was Georgia Tech’s largest in ACC conference play history. Virginia Tech’s set a record in offensive ineptitude, with their 43 points being their lowest output in conference play.
Seniors Janie Mitchell, Daphne Mitchell and Chioma Nnamaka all had double figures in points. Nnamaka set a new career-high with 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting and 7-for-13 free throw shooting.
Janie Mitchell shot just six-for-19 from the field, but still added 16 points, three assists and four rebounds. Daphne Mitchell had 10 points.
While the Jackets allowed the Hokies to shoot 40 percent from the field in the game, Virginia Tech took almost 24 less shots than Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech’s opportunistic defense forced 37 turnovers and 26 steals in the game while committing only 13 turnovers and allowing six steals.
In Georgia Tech’s regular season finale, the Jackets were not able to hang on and lost to the Virginia Cavaliers on the road in double overtime, 103-101.
While Virginia had already wrapped a No. 4 seed in the ACC tournament and a guaranteed bye on the first day of play, Tech was playing to try and secure the No. 5 seed. A win would ensure this while a loss would leave their fate in the hands of other teams.
The Jackets came out strong, leading the Cavaliers 50-35 as they headed into the locker room. The offensive output in the first half was Tech’s largest lead before half time this whole season.
Unfortunately, the Cavaliers were able to mount a come back and eventually take an 80-78 lead with just 1:52 remaining in the second half of play. Tech had to play from behind in the final seconds, but a shot from Janie Mitchell tied the game and forced the game into overtime.
Tech’s momentum carried over into the first overtime period and they took a two-score lead with just over 30 seconds left, but could not hold on and allowed the Cavaliers to come back, tie the game and force a second overtime.
In the second overtime, Virginia helped break a tie that spanned much of the period with a shot by Virginia’s Monica Wright, giving the Cavaliers a two-point lead with two seconds left. It was the difference in the game as Tech lost the heartbreaker.
Tech was still able to earn the No. 5 seed in the ACC tournament, being held in the Greensboro, N.C. tournament this weekend. Tech is matched up with Miami for the third time this season.
The teams had met twice during the season, splitting the games with each winning on the road with a buzzer beater.