Georgia Tech relied on near-perfect free throw shooting and tight defense in the second half to scrape by visiting Clemson 58-55.
Head coach Karen Blair made good on her goal to work on rebounding after the Yellow Jackets loss at home to Virginia three days earlier. Brianna Turnage heard the challenge and responded with 18 rebounds, 15 on the defensive glass. The lanky and versatile swing guard blocked three shots, dished out four assists, pilfered a pair, and chipped in 6 points towards the win.
“I probably don’t tell her enough, you know, we just kind of expect at this point that Snoop’s (Turnage) going to get 15 to 18 boards every game out,” said Blair.
Atlanta natives Raven Thompson (Langston Hughes), Mia Moore (St. Francis Academy) and Demeara Hinds (Lithia Springs) returned home as Tigers. Hinds, Thompson, and Rachel Rose were the only Tigers in double figures. Thompson did a little of everything from her center position. She collected five boards, a steal, and a block to go with her four assists and team high 15 points.
Moore had a bittersweet night. The senior guard scored eight points including her 1000th in the loss.
Georgia Tech was led by none other than Talayah Walker. The guard scored 10 points and was one made field goal shy of perfection. Walker went 1-1 from three-point land, 3-3 from the charity stripe, and 2-3 from19 feet in during the first half.
It was more of the same physical play in the second half. Tech hit a spurt “We challenged them a little bit in the second half and then all they do is come out and respond with a 12-2 run,” said Blair.
The Yellow Jackets defense did a good job guarding the three point line. “I think we did a much better job of um you know corralling them and and taking care of box outs like we needed to to finish possessions in that second half,” said Blair. Clemson was 0/11 from the top of the key around to the right side of the basket.
Clemson trailed by as much as six point and was forced to put the Jackets on the free throw line late in the fourth. The strategy didn’t work as Moon and Walker made all six free throws. Thompson knocked down a triple at the buzzer to put a cap on the final score.