Yellow Jacket Roundup: February 4th, 2018

A weekly look into swimming and diving, track and field, cross country, softball, women’s basketball, tennis, volleyball, golf, and anything else we happen to see on campus.

No. 3 Men’s Golf:

The esteemed golf team tee’d off their season in Hawaii this past weekend in the Amer Ari Invitational, their usual spring opener. The Jackets finished a disappointing fifth in the competition, as they could not keep pace with the team’s best performer, freshman Noah Norton, who got 23rd overall. The team, which rallied despite slow starts in other days of the competition, could not mount a charge to climb any higher than their tie for fifth with Auburn and TCU. The esteemed field featured four ranked in the top 10 nationally, and the Jackets look to continue to refine their play as the season progresses.

This week: Men’s golf is off this week.

No. 7 Women’s Tennis:

The Jackets took the match against the visiting Oregon Ducks 5-2 on the Flats this past weekend. Tech, which remains undefeated in head-to-head play, won the doubles point yet again, and the pair of Paige Hourigan and Kenya Jones remain an esteemed fifth in the nation. With four points needed to win a tennis match, Tech had assured themselves a victory before Oregon found any success. Tech, as always, had stellar doubles, but must be well-rounded if they are to win the upcoming ITA Indoor Nationals.

This week: The Jackets head to Wisconsin for the ITA Indoor Nationals.

Indoor Track and Field

Tech’s women finished third in the Charlie Strong Invitational in College Station, Texas, while the men placed fourth. A one-two finish by Jeanine Williams and Raven Stewart in the 60m hurdles further solidifies Tech’s death grip on that event. Williams, previous holder of the ACC’s best time so far of the season is now joined by Stweart, who has the fifth fastest mark on the year. Meanwhile, Nichole Fegans and Amy Ruiz did the same on the other end of the distance spectrum, in the mile. On the men’s side, Frank Pittman was one of six Tech runners in the top ten in that same event, while Avery Bartlett won the 800m. All in all, a very solid meet for the Jackets.

This week: Tech splits the squad to head to Clemson and Nashville. It’s deja vú all over again.

Women’s Basketball

Thursday, February 1st: Duke (18 - 5) defeats Georgia Tech (13 - 10), 77-59.

Sunday, February 5th: Georgia Tech (14 - 10) dispatches Clemson (11 - 13), 60-48.

Tech lost to Duke on Thursday night, despite having a surprisingly efficient performance from a usual role player, Antonia Peresson. Her 17 points, with five makes from beyond the arc, along with 16 from Kaylan Pugh and 14 from Francesca Pan, were not enough to carry the Jackets to a win in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Jackets, who faced just a four point lead late in the game, could not make a win happen, and a lopsided late run by the Blue Devils put the game firmly in their favor.

The Jackets, however, faced a timely bounce-back game against the Clemson Tigers on Sunday. Clemson, who they had defeated earlier in the season. Well-distributed offense, led by Pan’s 17 points, and two solid halves of basketball were enough to give Tech the win. Interestingly, five Tech players had multiple steals, a nice way to limit Clemson possessions. The win was Tech’s first away from their home arena, but Tech is obviously disappointed to be sitting at 3-8 after a tremendous start to the season. Two of the Jackets’ three conference wins are against Clemson, which is good, but eight losses, especially after that a fantastic start, are less good, even in a strong league like the ACC. Sitting at just 14-10, Tech will need to find some sort of magic coming into the final month of the season to make the postseason. A revenge opportunity against juggernaut Notre Dame and home tip against basement dweller Boston College should provide two good, albeit very different, opportunities.

This Week: Tech heads to Notre Dame and hosts Boston College.

For men’s basketball coverage: Tech defeats Syracuse, whom it is safe to say has no love lost for your Yellow Jackets, and lost a disappointing road game up in Boston.

This Week on the Flats:

BOLD for home, REGULAR for away, ITALIC for time and location

Monday: OFF

Tuesday: OFF

Wednesday: OFF

Thursday:
Men’s Basketball @ Louisville
7:00 PM, Louisville, KY, ESPN2
Women’s Basketball vs. Boston College
7:00 PM, McCamish Pavilion, ACC Network Extra

Friday:
Indoor Track and Field @
All day, Clemson, SC
Indoor Track and Field @
All day, Nashville, TN
Softball vs. Lamar
1:00 PM CT, Gulf Shores, AL
Women’s Tennis @ ITA Indoor National Championships
TBA, Madison, WI
Men’s Tennis vs. georgia
7:00 PM, Orlando, FL, Tennis Channel

Saturday:
Indoor Track and Field @
All day, Clemson, SC
Indoor Track and Field @
All day, Nashville, TN
Women’s Tennis @ ITA Indoor National Championships
TBA, Madison, WI
Softball vs. Penn State
12:00 PM CT, Gulf Shores, AL

Sunday:
Softball vs. Lipscomb
10:00 PM CT, Gulf Shores, AL
Women’s Basketball @ Notre Dame
1:00 PM, South Bend, IN, Regional Sports Networks
Women’s Tennis @ ITA Indoor National Championships
TBA, Madison, WI
Men’s Basketball vs. Duke
6:00 PM, McCamish Pavilion, ESPN