Aaliyah Whiteside converted a critical three-point play with 1:08 to play and Georgia Tech finished off a perfect 14-for-14 day at the foul line by make their final four in the last 14 seconds for a six-point ACC victory in Charlottesville, Va.
Tech’s Kaela Davis scored a team-high 31 points and has scored at least 20 points in seven of the past 11 games. Freshman Zaire O’Neil recorded the second double-double of her career, scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
The Yellow Jackets snapped a three-game losing streak to improve to 13-8 and 3-4 in the ACC, winning for the seventh time in their last nine games with Virginia (13-7, 3-4).
“I really felt like we grew up today,” Tech coach MaChelle Joseph said. “I thought defensively, we got stops when we needed to. Kaela Davis played a phenomenal game, 40 minutes of great defense and offense. I feel like our team got better at Notre Dame (in their last game) and we are more locked in and all on the same page.
“I felt like today we came out and executed. Our freshmen and sophomores really carried us and our juniors led the way.”
With the score tied at 51, Davis scored on a layup to signal a six-point run by the Jackets, good for a 57-51 lead with 5:01 to play. Tech wouldn’t let Virginia get closer than three.
After playing five of its first seven ACC games on the road, Tech returns home on Friday to face Florida State and open a four-game homestand.
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