Georgia Tech hands Georgia first loss in women's basketball showdown
Dec. 5—ATHENS — Behind three Yellow Jackets in double-figures, Georgia Tech women's basketball captured a 55-54 victory over No. 19 Georgia in Stegeman Coliseum on Sunday.
It marked the second consecutive win in Athens for Georgia Tech and handed the Bulldogs their first loss of the season.
Tech (6-2) trailed by as many as 11 points in the third quarter after Georgia (7-1) opened the frame with an 11-2 run to take a 36-25 lead. But the Jackets trimmed the score to a single possession immediately in the fourth quarter. After the teams traded baskets, Sarah Bates drained a 3-pointer to return the lead to Tech for the final time, 49-47, with 3:47 to play in the fourth.
Leading by two, Nerea Hermosa hit a pair of clutch free throws with 8.8 ticks on the clock, to setup a 55-51 tally before Georgia's Sarah Ashlee Barker cut it to one, 55-54, with 4.5 seconds to go. Georgia got a final shot off, but it was off the mark as the Yellow Jackets sealed its second-ever win in Athens.
To start the game, Eylia Love dominated the opening frame, dropping nine points as the Yellow Jackets claimed a 13-9 edge after the first 10 minutes. But the Lady Bulldogs slowly chipped away at its deficit and outscored Tech in the second quarter to carry a slight 25-23 advantage into halftime. Securing eight rebounds in the first half, Lorela Cubaj joined the elite 1,000-career rebound club, and led the Jackets on the glass who took the battle, 20-14, in the first 20 minutes.
Hermosa and Love led the Jackets offensively, each chipping in 14 points, while Cubaj added 11 to the scoreboard. Tech won the battle on the glass, 44-37, paced by 15 rebounds from Cubaj and eight from Hermosa. For the game, Tech shot 36.8 percent from the field.
Georgia was led by Que Morrison with 15 points and Jenna Staiti with six rebounds. The Lady Bulldogs shot 35.9 percent from the floor and were limited to a 4-of-6 effort at the free throw line.
