Wake Forest University
No. 8 Georgia Tech (ACC Tournament)
Deacs Rally Past Georgia Tech, 61-59
3/5/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 5, 2004
Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Sophomore Cotelia Bond-Young poured in a game-high 18 points, including 14 in the second-half, to lead ninth seeded Wake Forest to a 61-59 victory over eighth seeded Georgia Tech Friday morning in the first round of the 2004 ACC Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum. The win marked the third time this season that the Demon Deacons have defeated Georgia Tech - each decided by exactly two points.
Wake Forest advances to tomorrow's first quarterfinal with top-seed, second-ranked and four-time defending ACC Tournament Champion Duke. Tip-off at the Greensboro Coliseum is scheduled for noon.
The Demon Deacons (12-16, 4-12 ACC) tied the game at 58-58 with a minute remaining on a 3-point jumper by Bond-Young. Ironically enough, it was the same play, along with the same result, as the 3-pointer that she knocked down to send the game against the Yellow Jackets (14-15, 5-11 ACC) on Jan. 29 into overtime.
Tonia Brown then converted on a pair of free throws with 19.8 seconds remaining to give Wake Forest a two-point lead, 60-58.
Fallon Stokes had a chance to tie the game at the free throw line with 6.6 seconds remaining after she was fouled by Tracy Alston on the Jackets' return trip down the court. After making the front end of the 1-and-1, Stokes' second shot bounced off the front of the rim and Melissa Washington corralled the rebound for the Deacs.
Washington knocked down one of the two ensuing free-throws, giving the Deacs a 61-59 lead with 5.8 seconds left. Georgia Tech pushed the ball up the floor, but Alex Stewart had the ball forced loosed as time expired.
Bond-Young, who led the Demon Deacons in scoring for the fourth time this season, went 6-for-11 from the field, including 4-for-7 from 3-point land. Sophomore Liz Strunk, senior Bianca Brown and senior Tonia Brown all scored nine points. Bianca Brown also added five assists and four rebounds.
Wake Forest tied the game at 48-48 with 7:49 remaining in the game using a 15-2 run. Washington started the burst with a lay-up and Bond-Young and Tonia Brown closed it with consecutive 3-pointers.
Georgia Tech's Alex Stewart hit a lay-up at 6:16, the Jackets' first in over four minutes of play, to make the score 50-48 before Strunk tied the game with a jumper from the baseline at 5:41.
Down by three, the Jackets' Jessica Williams hit a free throw and a jumper on the next possession, and Megan Harpring converted on a three-point play to give Tech a 58-55 lead with 1:19 remaining in the contest.
Following a Wake Forest 3-pointer by Bond-Young to open the game, Georgia Tech went on a 16-0 run with buckets by Stokes, Kasha Terry, Megan Isom and Williams.
Stokes scored the Jackets first four buckets of the contest and concluded the half with 14 points on 6-for-9 from the field and 2-for-2 from the charity stripe. Terry converted on a pair of baskets while pulling down five rebounds and blocking three shots in 10 minutes of play.
Wake Forest pulled within six points of the Jackets on a Bianca Brown jumper with 3:10 remaining in the half, but the Jackets took a 32-24 lead into the locker room after Williams hit the Jackets' final buckets in the frame.
Fallon Stokes led the Jackets with 17 points in the final game of her career. She also had six rebounds and two steals in the game. Sophomore Jessica Williams was the only other Yellow Jacket in double-figures, as she scored 14 points and pulled down seven rebounds in the contest.
Stewart scored eight points for the Jackets and had five assists and four rebounds in the game, while senior Megan Isom had eight points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals to her credit.
