The fourth-seeded Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (23-7) held off
the fifth-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels (20-11) in a 54-43 victory on
Friday in Greensboro, N.C. that advanced them into the Atlantic Coast
Conference (ACC...
The first of four quarter-final games to be played today at the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum on Friday, the Tar Heels take on a well-rested Yellow Jackets squad who earned a bye through the first round of play.
North Carolina carries momentum from a 49-point domination of the Clemson Tigers on Thursday and seek to move on in search of earning 'respect' as a top conference team in post-season play
At the half, Georgia Tech led by six points, 31-25 after a grinding and messy half of play that included 26 total turnovers from both teams.
In-Game notes:
2nd half:
- With 11:09 to play, Georgia Tech holds a seven-point lead, 43-36 and the Tar Heels take a timeout to set up for the next sequence of play
- The Tar Heels come up with a two-pointer from Tierra Ruffin-Pratt and the margin is cut down to five
- The Yellow Jakckets' Dawn May gets those two back but not before She'la White hits a three - Gergia Tech leads 45-41 with 9:43 to go
- Georgia Tech turns it over and Krista Gross inches the Tar Heels even closer with a lay-up
- Gross grabs the defensive board on a missed Yellow Jackets shot and North Carolina pushes it up the court
- Ruffin-Pratt misses a jumper and Georgia Tech goes the other way but the Tar Heels defense denies them a chance by turning the ball over
- White comes down the lane and drives for two and ties the game, 45-45 with 7:30 to go
- Georgia can't creat any offense against a tenacious Carolina single-coverage defense
- Ruffin-Pratt hits a short jumper and the Tar Heels now lead 47-45
- The Yellow Jackets finally score as Maye ties it 47-47
- However, Ruffin-Pratt drives the lane, fakes right and goes left with the lay-up to retake the lead, 49-47
- Ruffin-Pratt steals the ball on the ensuing GT possession and White comes down to score a lay-up and the Tar Heels now lead by four points, 51-47 with 4:05 to play
- Georgia Tech still can't penetrate inside to score any points and take a timeout to talk it over
- The Yellow Jackets get one back and score an additional FT from Tyaunna Marshall to cut the lead down to one
- North Carolina can't add to their lead and the Yellow Jackets come back down the floor and score on an uncontested lay-up from Marshall and GT retakes the lead 52-51
- Georgia Tech applying a full press to slow the North Carolina transition game down
- No score from the Tar Heels but they deny the Yellow Jackets a shot and North Carolina has the ball back with 2:21 to play and trailing by one point
- Chay Shegog finally gets a basket in the half to put the Tar Heels ahead again
- Georgia Tech moves the ball around and Marshall finds space to drive and score to put GT ahead again, 54-53
- White drive the lane and has a look but it doesn't drop and the Yellow Jackets push it down the court quickly
- Georgia Tech has the ball and North Carolina almost gets possession but the Yellow Jackets save it from going out of bounds
- 24.5 seconds remain and Georgia Tech has possession - expect North Carolina to foul soon to get the ball back
- After a timeout, the Tar Heels look on the Yellow Jackets quickly as they press hard
- A big denial on the drive as Broomfiled swats a lay-up away from Metra Walhour
- Walthour gets the ball back and drives again and misses - foul on the ensuing loose ball play and North Carolina has the ball down by one with 6.7 seconds left to play
- Ruffin-Pratt inbounds to White who is fouled and the ball stays with the Tar Heels on the sideline
- They inbound again and a scramble along the line still keeps the ball in North Carolina's possession with 2.7 seconds left
- North Carolina with one last chance as Ruffin-Pratt inbounds
- She tries to throw it to Shegog but it is deflected out-of-bounds with one second on the clock remaining - officials go to the table to review possession and time left on the clock to start play
- Clock is reset to 1.5 seconds - Ruffin-Pratt inbounds to Brittany Rountree who takes a long three-point attempt and the ball hits the front of the rim - no foul called on the play
- That is it as Georgia Tech survives and advances to the semi-finals to play the winner of #1 Duke/#9 NC State
