WBB Falls At Georgia Tech

Sunday, January 23

Atlanta, Ga.

Noon

North Carolina

15-3,5-3ACC

Georgia Tech

15-4,6-2ACC

North Carolina

Georgia Tech

Kennedy Todd-Williams led UNC with 10 points in Sunday's loss at Georgia Tech.

January 23, 2022 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

ATLANTA, Ga. – The North Carolina women's basketball team fell in a top-20 road matchup Sunday afternoon, 55-38 at No. 15 Georgia Tech. No. 20 Carolina is now 15-3 overall and 5-3 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, with all three losses coming on the road to ACC opponents ranked higher in the Associated Press poll.

Georgia Tech improved to 15-4 overall (6-2 ACC) with the win, the Yellow Jackets' first over the Tar Heels since the 2017-18 season.

The 38 points marked a season low for the Tar Heels, who also hit season lows in field goal attempts (55) and free throw percentage (27.3, 3-11). The team's .291 field goal percentage (16-55) was the second-lowest of the season.

In what was billed as a defensive battle at McCamish Pavilion, the teams instead started by trading blows offensively. Georgia Tech hit its first three shots and the Tar Heels hit their first two, but committed turnovers on two of their first three possessions as the Yellow Jackets took an early lead. Tech hit eight of its first 11 shots and finished the first quarter with a 71.4 shooting percentage – a high by a UNC opponent in a quarter this season – and a 23-9 lead.

"That first quarter they really pounced on us," UNC coach Courtney Banghart said. "I thought we were reactionary defensively and we know against a team with size we've got to use our speed and our disruption. We just let them get too comfortable – they scored 23 points in the first quarter and only 32 the rest of the way."

Although UNC outscored the home team in the second quarter, with a 10-9 disparity the Tar Heels couldn't make up much ground. With GT up by 17 at the 3:20 mark, UNC put together a 6-0 run to cut into the lead, which stood at 32-19 at halftime. Georgia Tech closed the quarter with a streak of just over seven minutes without a basket, and that carried into the third period, with the Yellow Jackets eventually going more than 13 minutes between field goals. The Tar Heels outscored them 17-6 over that span with Georgia Tech's points coming on free throws.

With just over four minutes to play in the third quarter, Tar Heel junior Eva Hodgson had her lay-up blocked by Lorela Cubaj and ended the play on the ground. In a show of perseverance, Hodgson jumped up and successfully hit a floater as the shot clock expired to cut the margin to single digits for the first time since late in the first quarter, 34-26.

But Cubaj scored 26 seconds later to end her team's drought and again push Tech's advantage to double digits, where it would remain. The home team led by 14, 43-29, heading into the fourth and UNC was never able to get closer.

Digna Strautmane led Georgia Tech with 14 points, eight of which came in the first quarter, and 11 rebounds. Lotta-Maj Lahtinen also hit double figures with 12 points, with seven of them in the first quarter. "It's an experienced group that was in the Sweet 16 last year, and a very, very good team," Banghart said. "A lot of credit to Nell (Fortner, the Georgia Tech coach) – she's done a great job."

Kennedy Todd-Williams was the only Tar Heel to reach double-digit points, a season low. She scored 10 points and was 2-3 from three-point range. Hodgson and Carlie Littlefield led the rebounding effort with five each as Tech won that battle 38-35.

Freshman Destiny Adams provided a spark in the second quarter, with four points and three defensive boards in just four minutes of play. She would finish the game with six points and four rebounds.

UNC committed five turnovers in game's first six minutes against the staunch Yellow Jacket defense, but the teams ended with similar number, with Carolina grabbing six steals and committing 15 turnovers and Georgia Tech with six steals and 13 turnovers.

"I think we started off slow – their length and their size bothered us," sophomore Kennedy Todd-Williams said. "We're going to take this as a learning experience and grow from it."

The Tar Heels now dive into a rivalry week, seeing both Triangle foes over the next seven days. They'll play at Duke on Thursday night at 7 then welcome NC State to Chapel Hill on Sunday afternoon at 4.