Georgia Tech Avoids Upset, Advances in ACC Tournament

GREENSBORO, N.C. – With 15th-seeded Pitt making a legitimate bid for an upset, Georgia Tech found its bearings when it counted the most.

Trailing by a point with just less than six minutes remaining, the 10th-seeded Yellow Jackets came up with three traditional three-point plays and a clutch basket from 3-point range to ease away for a 73-60 win in the opening round of the Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at Greensboro Coliseum.

Georgia Tech (17-14) will face No. 7 seed Duke (19-10) in Thursday’s 5 p.m. second-round game. The Yellow Jackets will seek to avenge an 84-46 loss when the teams met at the Blue Devils’ Cameron Indoor Stadium on Jan. 14.

Tonie Morgan’s 24 points and 11 rebounds led the way for Georgia Tech, which outscored Pitt 21-7 in the final 5:43 of the game. Morgan delivered two three-point plays in the decisive fourth quarter, and Kara Dunn (14 points) had another on an aggressive rebound follow shot.

Rusne Augustinaite scored 13, including a 3-pointer from the left corner that gave the Yellow Jackets a 64-58 lead with 1:49 to play and a bit of breathing room in a game that had featured six ties and 17 lead changes. Kayla Blackhear finished with 12 points.

Bella Perkins and Aislin Malcolm were a combined 7-for-14 from 3-point range and led Pitt (8-24) with 16 points each. All-ACC first-teamer Liatu King, recognized as the conference’s Most Improved Player pregame, poured in 15 second-half points after being shut out the first two quarters.

Augustinaite and Morgan each scored 10 first-half points to give the Yellow Jackets to a 38-32 lead at the break. Georgia Tech shot 54 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes and held an 18-13 edge on the boards.

Perkins went 5-for-7 from the floor and had 13 points to lead all first-half scorers. Malcolm added 10 for the Panthers.

Pitt quickly wiped out the halftime deficit and grabbed the lead on several second-half occasions prior to Georgia Tech’s strong finish.