#20 Georgia Tech WBB downs Miami 77-66

Balanced attack propels strong win

#20 Georgia Tech Women’s Basketball picked up their 18th win of the season, overtaking Miami 77-66 to move to 18-4 (6-4 ACC) and get back in the win column after losing last Sunday to Duke. It’s Tech second straight win over the Hurricanes in Coral Gables after beating them in overtime there last season. Tech at the end of the day will likely still sit in the 7th-8th range in the conference standings, but with winnable games in the next couple weeks.

Tech’s attack was very well balanced in a game where Miami threw multiple defensive looks and managed to get both Tonie Morgan and Kara Dunn into foul trouble. Zoe Smith and Kara Dunn led with 16 points for Tech playing only 25 minutes as her foul trouble came in the first half. Tonie Morgan, Dani Carnegie, and Chit-Chat Wright also hit double figures. The rebounding effort also was very equitable with seven Jackets getting between three and five boards, nobody with more.

Smith was a major factor in the second half, scoring 14 of her 16 points and putting up big shots in the fourth quarter to keep Miami at bay. Haley Cavinder still was very productive for Miami despite a disappointing performance in the paint teamwide, scoring the game high 25 points on 11-21 shooting.

Tech early tried to pummel Miami with three pointers, but with very few dropping adjusted well to a more diversified attack getting Morgan involved and taking an 11-0 advantage on points off turnovers in the third quarter.

This may have been Tech’s most disciplined game all season, as they only committed five turnovers and committing only one personal foul in the entire fourth quarter. After a week off with lots of practice time, it was clear the time in the gym paid off with how clean of a game they played. Any blemishes mostly came from normal missed shots or the occassional misjudgment in shot selection.

How It Happened

Miami hit their first four shots of the game while Tech needed a couple minutes to figure out the Canes’ zone defense for a 9-3 run. Eventually threes from Dunn and Wright made it single possession as they were getting good looks in transition. After the first media timeout, Tech almost exclusively shot three point attempts, hitting none of them until their final attempt by Rusne Augustinaite to take a 16-15 lead at the buzzer.

2Q (16-15 GT)

Both sides went back and forth to start the second including another three by Augustinaite before a couple minute drought from both teams from the field. Dani Carnegie had open looks from three but nothing was falling, eventually coming out after committing her second foul with six minutes left. Tonie Morgan began a tide shift with more drives at the bucket, scoring five points in the final few minutes and finishing with nine in the quarter. Both Dunn and Carnegie played minimal minutes being in foul trouble, but Tech’s defense managed to hold Miami to only five made baskets in the quarter.

3Q (33-30 GT)

Tech quickly ran away with the quarter with quick buckets by Smith and Dunn before Wright hit back to back threes, putting Tech up 43-34. Dunn came out at the seven minute mark after drawing her third foul and Carnegie came in for her. She made an impressive play right off the bat passing up a potential three point look for an easy layup for Smith, putting Tech on an 8-0 run that got to 12-2 and a double digit lead. Miami struggled heavily with finishing at the rim, scoring only two points in the paint in the first few minutes.

Haley Cavinder helped push a charge for Miami after being down as much as 13, scoring five points and Hanna getting a bucket of her own, shrinking the Tech lead to six at the end of the quarter. Carnegie finally got her first bucket to at least not go scoreless.

4Q (57-51 GT)

Haley Cavinder continued to get buckets for Miami, but Zo Smith did the same for Tech hitting three big buckets in the first few minutes to keep Tech’s lead at multiple possessions, taking over as Tech’s leading scorer. Miami very quickly racked up five fouls as well, putting Tech in the bonus for the final 6:46 of the quarter. Cavinder shrunk the lead to just four back to back Miami possessions after, but buckets from Dunn and Carnegie got it back to 67-59 going into the halfway media timeout.

Miami got the lead to five, but after a couple Carnegie free throws and a clutch three pointer by Dunn, the 72-62 lead with 90 seconds left was enough for Miami to start fouling, handing Tech the win.

Stats & Game Leaders

Game Leaders

Points: Haley Cavinder (MIA) – 25

Assists: Tonie Morgan (GT) – 6

Rebounds: Cameron Williams (MIA) – 16

3PM: Chit-Chat Wright (GT) – 3

#20 Georgia Tech next plays Thursday, February 6 against SMU at McCamish Pavilion.