Dani Carnegie career high 22 points
The (for now) #25 Georgia Tech Women’s Basketball squad won their 11th straight game to open the season, a program record after taking down #14 North Carolina on the road 82-76. Tech remains the only undefeated team in the ACC, now at 11-0 (1-0 ACC) with two ranked wins. It’s Tech’s first win in Chapel Hill since 2012.
Freshman Dani Carnegie hit a career highs in nearly every countable category: points (22), field goals made (8), field goals attempted (19), free throws made and attempted (4), rebounds (9), assists (4), and steals (2). Her 16 first half points did loads to establish Tech’s dominant first half where they shot 56%, had 12 assists, and outrebounded North Carolina 23-10 with seven offensive rebounds.
That first half, where they led 50-34, was potentially one of the best halves of basketball in the Fortner era for Georgia Tech. The rebounding as mentioned was near perfect. Everyone was able to get looks and contribute. Zoe Smith and Ari Termis were doing a great job guarding the paint to allow the guards to work the perimeter and limit North Carolina’s looks. Right as UNC was starting to hit threes in the second quarter, Kara Dunn was right there to counter and maintain Tech’s lead.
After being down as much as 23, North Carolina did claw back in the fourth quarter to shrink Tech’s lead to single digits. Their 62% free throw shooting came back to haunt them, as the eight missed free throws they had would’ve been more than enough to steal the game from the Jackets.
In a rare sight, Tech did not shoot the most threes, putting up 20 to UNC’s 29, but a change in offensive pace in the 4th to slow the game down took away some opportunities they were getting earlier in the game.
1Q
The Tar Heels had a 5-0 lead when the ACCN feed finally started, their points coming in the first minute of the game. They got it to seven before Morgan hit a layup, a couple free throws, and converted a three point play to shrink the lead to 12-9 at the first media timeout. Dani Carnegie’s first shift came out of the timeout and immediately changed the game. She scored Tech’s next six points to give them a 15-14 lead before Blackshear, Morgan, and Dunn all got buckets as part of a 12-2 run to a 21-14 lead. Dunn managed to get to the line with half a second left to pad the lead at 26-17.
2Q (26-17 GT)
North Carolina switched to a zone defense in the second quarter, which was no matter for Tech as that gave Kara Dunn a couple open threes that would’ve blown the game open if Reniya Kelly did a great job countering with her own pair of threes, keeping the came within ten at 34-26. Morgan got the lead to 11 on a three and then on some incredible inside moves put a layup in for a 41-28 lead a seven point run. After a couple silly turnovers and Morgan came out of the game with an injury, Dani Carnegie put the team on her back hitting a three and converting a three-point play to put Tech up 47-32. Dunn’s third three of the game got Tech to 50 before half.
Halftime stats via North Carolina
3Q (50-34 GT)
Ari Termis got her third foul of the game to start the half, causing Fortner to play Zoe Smith earlier than maybe planned. Smith was huge though getting back to back jumpers to stretch Tech’s lead to 18 points at 58-40 with six minutes left. Noguero hit a fast break bucket to get the lead back to 18. After a small dry spell, Carnegie hit two beautiful jumpshots including a quick turnaround jumper for Tech’s biggest lead of the game at 64-42 with 2:30 left. Kara Dunn got called for a flagrant foul at the 2:06 mark after a lengthy review.
4Q (66-45 GT)
Tech seemed to shift to a burn clock strategy for the whole of the fourth quarter, significantly slowing down offensively. They committed four straight turnovers after an opening bucket, giving UNC all the room they needed for an 11-0 run to shrink the lead to 10 at 68-58. Morgan converted a big three point play to make it 73-60. The Tar Heels kept their foot on the pedal, engaging their defense to disrupts Tech’s rhythm and getting to the foul line to shrink the lead to eight points at the 2:00 mark. After a big offensive rebound to take off nearly a minute of clock, it forced the Heels to start fouling and put the game away for Tech, 82-76.
Stats & Game Leaders
Stats via North Carolina
Game Leaders
Points: Tonie Morgan (GT) – 23
Assists: Alyssa Ustby (UNC) – 10
Rebounds: Dani Carnegie (GT) – 9
3PM: Lexi Donarski (UNC) – 4
Turnovers: Tonie Morgan (GT) – 6
Takeaways
Tech now has wins away from home againts #21 Oregon and #14 North Carolina, plus a big time gutsy win over Mississippi State in McCamish. Everyone else they have steamrolled to this 11-0 start. This team, barring a wild streak of injuries (D’Asia Thomas-Harris is already out), is going to make the NCAA Tournament with how they looked today.
Fortner and Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Blanche Alverson have Tech playing at the pace they’ve been trying to get to since the start of the Morgan/Noguero/Dunn era. Coming into the game, Tech averaged 81.9 points/game for 4th in the ACC and 25th nationally. On top of that, they came in allowing 53.1 points/game, 2nd in the ACC and 15th nationally.
What does this mean? We’re getting the strong defense that comes with Fortner basketball along with rampant scoring, and that’s in part because so many of the pieces are finally together to make that happen. Morgan is killing it as a floor general. Noguero, Smith, and Kayla Blackshear’s plus defensive abilities and physicality have alleviated pressure for the guards to do better patrolling the three point line. Tech’s opponents are shooting only 22% from three.
Throw in Dani Carnegie and Chit-Chat Wright who have made Tech’s depth at worst eight people, the Jackets can keep offensive pace up for a whole game if they need to. Tech scored 36.10 points/game off the bench for tops in the ACC and 6th nationally.
It doesn’t matter who the opponent has been, Tech has played the kind of basketball they have wanted to play in all 11 games. A 12th win should come quickly on Wednesday as Rice comes to town, but we’ll get another big matchup on Saturday against #24 Nebraska. If Tech wins both, the conversation to put Tech in the top 10 will need to happen. Tech’s highest ever ranking is 11th.