Late Run Lifts Georgia Tech Past Florida State in ACC Tournament Opener

In Wednesday’s third and final game of first-round action in the Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women’s basketball traveled roughly 30 minutes north of downtown Atlanta to face the Florida State Seminoles women’s basketball at Gas South Arena. Georgia Tech entered the matchup after closing the regular season with a 79–49 victory over the Miami Hurricanes women’s basketball, while Florida State came into the tournament following a 77–74 loss to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons women’s basketball in its season finale.

Georgia Tech, despite being without several players, got off to a fast start in the first quarter, finishing the period on an 8–0 run to take a 22–16 lead. La’Naya Foster led the Yellow Jackets early with 7 points, helping Georgia Tech shoot 61% from the field and 40% from three-point range in the opening quarter.

Sydney Bowles of Florida State opened the second quarter with a much-needed three-pointer to cut the deficit to 22–19 with 9:26 remaining. However, Georgia Tech responded by continuing its efficient shooting. The Yellow Jackets went 8-for-17 from the field (47.1%) and 4-for-9 from three-point range (44.4%) in the quarter to maintain control of the pace. Meanwhile, Florida State struggled offensively, shooting 6-for-23 from the field (26.1%) and 0-for-6 from beyond the arc. The Seminoles added 2-of-4 free throws, but Georgia Tech’s perimeter shooting helped the Yellow Jackets carry a 39–29 advantage into halftime.

Florida State outscored Georgia Tech 19–17 in the third quarter to trim the deficit to nine. The Seminoles attempted to chip away at the Yellow Jackets’ lead but continued to struggle to find consistent scoring from the field. Georgia Tech shot 6-for-20 (30%) from the field and 1-for-5 from three-point range in the quarter while adding 3-of-4 free throws to keep the offense moving. Florida State remained competitive defensively but was unable to put together a significant scoring run, allowing Georgia Tech to maintain the lead heading into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Georgia Tech began to pull away, extending its lead to 67–54 with 2:37 remaining. La’Naya Foster led all scorers with 18 points, while Erica Moon added 17 points and five assists. Brianna Turnage sealed the victory with a late three-point play that extended the Georgia Tech lead to 70–56.

With the win, Georgia Tech advances to face the Virginia Tech Hokies women’s basketball on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. in the second round of the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament.