After a competitive first 15 minutes and an even game, Georgia Tech virtually fell apart against No. 2 seed Duke and lost 82-52 in the ACC women’s basketball tournament quarterfinals on Friday in Greensboro, N.C.
With the victory, Duke advances to the ACC semifinals for the sixth time in seven seasons. It was the Blue Devils’ 37th consecutive victory against the Yellow Jackets.
Tied at 24 with 5:07 left in the first half, Duke outscored the Yellow Jackets 11-2 to finish the half, and then roared to a 50-30 lead in the first five minutes of the second half with a 15-4 run. Tech followed its dismal shooting at the end of the first half with an equally cold effort in the second, scoring only one basket in the final 6:50 of the game.
Tech shot 24 percent (17 for 72) for the game, its worst performance of the season and three different times missed seven consecutive shots. Duke shot 53 percent. Haley Peters scored 19 to lead four Blue Devils in double figures. Tyaunna Marshall scored 17 and freshman Kaela Davis 16 for Georgia Tech.
It was the 23rd time in 29 years that Tech has lost in the league quarterfinals. The last time Tech defeated Duke was 1995.
Georgia Tech fell to 20-11 and will await word on whether its resume is enough to get into the NCAA women’s postseason tournament. Duke raised its record to 26-5 and appears set to challenge Notre Dame for the ACC title. First, the Blue Devils must get past the North Carolina-Maryland winner in the second semifinal on Saturday night. Undefeated Notre Dame meets N.C. State in the early semifinal.
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