Georgia Tech’s women’s basketball team suffered a defeat against Duke in the second round of the ACCT, falling 70-58.
A significant scoring spree by Duke ultimately sealed the game for Tech.
The regular season concludes for the #10-seeded Georgia Tech Women’s Basketball team, falling to the #7-seeded Duke Blue Devils in the second round of the ACC Tournament with a score of 70-58. Duke advances to face the #2-seeded NC State in the quarterfinals.
Despite Duke entering the tournament with the top defense in the ACC, they showcased versatility in their offense against Tech. The first half saw a barrage of three-pointers against Tech’s 2-3 zone defense (5-11 3PT), capitalizing on their floor spacing to involve multiple scorers. In the opening half, seven different Blue Devils contributed to the scoring, shooting 52% compared to Tech’s 38%.
However, Tonie Morgan once again showcased a strong performance, tallying 19 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists (along with five turnovers), leading or sharing the lead in those categories. One positive aspect to take away from this team is Tonie’s continual improvement and her ability to carry the team, particularly in late-season and playoff scenarios where the pace slows down. When the matchup suits her, she consistently finds ways to score or draw fouls, as evidenced by her 10-15 free throw shooting tonight.
Tech did enter the game with a rest disadvantage after playing yesterday, and this was evident in Duke’s ability to maintain a higher tempo. Although the first quarter was slow, Duke’s subsequent runs were largely due to their superior effort and concentration. Tech’s 10 missed free throws also weighed heavily on the outcome of the game.
First Quarter
In the opening quarter, scoring proved to be a challenge for both teams, as Duke committed three turnovers within the first five minutes. Tech managed to secure their initial baskets from second-chance opportunities but struggled to find openings against Duke’s defense. Duke’s defensive intensity translated into four rapid points from three consecutive transition opportunities, granting them a 12-8 lead and prompting Nell Fortner to call her first timeout with 2:06 remaining. However, the timeout failed to yield positive results for Tech, as they ended the quarter without another basket, enduring a scoreless stretch lasting 4:34 while Duke concluded the quarter with an 11-0 run.
Second Quarter(17-8 Duke) 
In the second quarter, Tech found their rhythm offensively, stringing together eight consecutive points with three-pointers from Kara Dunn and Tonie Morgan, prompting Duke to call their first timeout with a narrow lead of 17-16. Tech managed to tie the game at 20-20 with a Kayla stepback jumper, but then Duke’s Ashlon Jackson hit two three-pointers and contributed to a steal-and-score, igniting an 8-0 run that propelled Duke to a 28-20 advantage.
This run extended to 15-1, during which Tech committed five turnovers, allowing Duke to capitalize on numerous scoring opportunities. Tech’s zone defense left them vulnerable to open three-pointers, with Jackson sinking three in the quarter alone. Despite being outplayed for much of the quarter, Tech managed to narrow the deficit to just three points by the end, largely thanks to their 8-0 run early in the quarter.
Third Quarter (38-26 Duke)
Kennedy Brown spearheaded Duke’s inside scoring effort, maintaining a roughly 10-point gap against Tech at the beginning of the second half. Tonie Morgan emerged as Tech’s primary offensive force, contributing seven of the team’s first 10 points, including sinking five free throws. Following Brown’s contributions, Camilla Emsbo assumed control in the paint, extending Duke’s lead significantly by the end of the quarter with six consecutive points and putting Kayla Blackshear in foul trouble with four fouls remaining 13 minutes before the game’s conclusion. Notably, all eight of Duke’s made field goals in the quarter were scored in the paint.
Fouth Quarter (56-43 Duke)
Tech switched to a full-court pressure defense, which aided in reducing the deficit to single digits around midway through the quarter. However, this adjustment was short-lived as Duke swiftly scored a couple of quick baskets, effectively sealing the outcome approximately three minutes before the final buzzer.
Top Performers:
Points: Tonie Morgan (GT) – 19
Assists: Tonie Morgan (GT)/Taina Mair (Duke) – 7
Rebounds: Tonie Morgan (GT)/Kennedy Brown (Duke)/Jadyn Donovan (Duke) – 8
Turnovers: Tonie Morgan (GT) – 5
For the second consecutive game, Tonie has been among the top performers in all four of these categories.
What comes after this?
Remains to be seen. There’s a possibility that Tech might receive an invitation to participate in the newly established 32-team WBIT tournament once all the conference tournaments conclude. If that happens, there’s a chance Tech could host games on their campus since the tournament only becomes neutral-site starting from the semifinals at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. If they do get additional games, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them win at least a couple considering they’ve displayed a more consistent level of play in their recent games, despite losing most of them.
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