Wake Forest University
Georgia Tech
Yellow Jackets Down Demon Deacons Sunday
2/25/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 25, 2001
ATLANTA - The Georgia Tech women's basketball team finished the regular season with a 79-63 win over Wake Forest on Sunday afternoon at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
Senior Jaime Kruppa led three Tech players with 16 points on Senior Day. Sophomore Alex Stewart also contributed a career-high 16 points, six rebounds and four assists and junior Milli Martinez recorded 16 points, six rebounds and two steals. Sophomore Niesha Butler added 14 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals. Sophomore Sonja Mallory contributed eight points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
"I think we finished the season with two really great team performances," Yellow Jacket head coach Agnus Berenato said after Tech won its second-straight game for the first time since winning six in a row from December 17 to January 2. "We did it without a starter. (Sophomore Nina Barlin missed the game due to illness.) Everyone stepped up. Alex (Stewart) played excellent basketball today. Niesha Butler played very well. I'm really happy for Jaime Kruppa, to get a win in her final home game. We start a whole new season in the ACC Tournament. We have a new start. We finished with a winning record despite some adversity. I'm looking forward to the tournament."
Georgia Tech shot 47 percent from the field while limiting the Demon Deacons to 35 percent shooting. The Yellow Jackets out-rebounded the Deacs, 44-34, the 18th time this season Tech has won the battle of the boards.
Georgia Tech turned up the intensity on defense in the second half. After holding a 36-29 halftime advantage, the Yellow Jackets pulled away from Wake Forest early in the second stanza. The Demon Deacons scored just four points in the first 8:35 of the second period and were held scoreless for the first five minutes after intermission as Tech opened the half on a 16-4 run.
Wake Forest senior Olivia Dardy scored a career-high 27 points and tallied nine rebounds and three steals in the losing effort. Freshman Eafton Hill added 16 points and three steals and senior Kristen Shaffer added 11 points, five rebounds and six assists for the Demon Deacons.
With the win, Georgia Tech finished the regular season with a 14-13 overall record and secured the No. 8 seed in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament with a 5-11 conference mark. Wake Forest finished the season with an eight-game losing streak. The Demon Deacons (11-16, 3-13 ACC) will play No. 1 seed Duke in the ACC Tournament on Friday. The Yellow Jackets will learn their first-round foe (ACC No. 7 seed) on Monday.
