Georgia Tech playing first Top 25 matchup since 2012

Georgia Tech basketball coach Nell Fortner huddles with her team during an early-season game at McCamish Pavilion. (Georgia Tech Athletics)

Credit: Georgia Tech

Credit: Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech basketball coach Nell Fortner huddles with her team during an early-season game at McCamish Pavilion. (Georgia Tech Athletics)

Georgia Tech’s game against Tennessee on Nov. 11, 2012 was significant on a couple of fronts. It was the first women’s basketball game played in McCamish Pavilion. It was only the third time that the vaunted Lady Vols had ever played at Tech. And through this week, it has remained the last time the Yellow Jackets played a game in which both teams were ranked. (Tech was ranked No. 22 and Tennessee was 20th.)

That drought will end Sunday, when No. 16 Tech plays No. 3 Louisville at McCamish Pavilion in the second ACC game for both teams. The Jackets and Cardinals are two of six ACC games in both the Associated Press and coaches top-25 polls.

The Jackets already have beaten a third-ranked team this season, having upset No. 3 Connecticut on Dec. 9 at McCamish. It was Tech’s first win over a team ranked in the top three since defeating No. 2 North Carolina in January 2009.

The noon game will be televised on ACC Network.

Since losing that 2012 game to Tennessee 71-54, the Jackets were not ranked again until the final coaches poll of last season after reaching the Sweet 16. Tech began this season at No. 17 but had fallen out of the Top 25 time by the time they played a ranked team (a win over No. 20 Georgia on Dec. 5, followed by the win over Connecticut). Tech returned to the top 25 following those wins.

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