GT ladies come up short in upset bid of #3 NC State
Georgia Tech fell behind 54-25 at halftime to the #3-ranked NC State Wolfpack at home but bounced back strong in the second half to come within single-digits, losing 84-75. The Yellow Jackets had just come off a 17-day hiatus due to the last two games suffering postponements for later in the season. Tech came into today’s game with a (4-1) overall record and a (2-0) ACC record.
Despite the rough first half, the Yellow Jackets ended up performing well overall. Georgia Tech had 4 Jackets finish in double-figures. Junior guard Lotta-Maj Lahtinen picked up where she had left off in the first two ACC game performances and went off for a career-high 30-point game. Her 30-point performance was also accompanied by 11 rebounds and 3 steals. Cubaj finished with 15 points but struggled against the NC State defense down low, managing only 3 rebounds. She hit a pair of 3-point tries back-to-back in the second half and really showed off her range from deep.
A couple other Jackets finished in double-figures tonight, Nerea Hermosa and Kierra Fletcher. This was Fletcher’s first game appearance this season after coming off of a preseason injury. She contributed nicely with 10 points shooting 2-for-3 from the 3-point line while adding a pair of assists and 3 rebounds in just 18 minutes. Of Hermosa’s performance tonight, Coach Nell Fortner stated, “by far her best game of the year… we’re proud of her.” Hermosa finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, and shot 4-for-5 from the field. Hermosa also had a pair of blocks and a steal.
Coach Nell Fortner says, “we’re a better team when we excel defensively,” and the stats support that. The Jackets had only 13 rebounds in the first half of play and 0 steals, 30.3% field goal shooting from the field, and only 25% from 3-point range. In the second half, Georgia Tech totaled 24 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 blocks. This resulted in an improved 41% shooting from the field and 37.5% from three.
Freshman guard Loyal McQueen, a usual starter all season, missed today’s game due to an undisclosed, nondisciplinary reason. She will be returning and is expected to play in Georgia Tech’s next game against Notre Dame. McQueen was averaging 11.6 points per game in her first 5 games.
The Yellow Jackets will travel to South Bend, IN, to take on the Fighting Irish on January 3rd, at 4:00 pm EST. Tech defeated the Irish earlier this season, 82-67, also in South Bend. The Jackets will look to improve to (3-1) in conference play as they move into January and deeper into their ACC schedule.