Fenyn sets career-high in loss to Yellow Jackets

January 27, 2011

By Marc Mullen

Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, Va. - 2,915	1	2	T
(25) Georgia Tech	35	43	78
Virginia Tech	26	31	57
High Points: 17 - Alyssa Fenyn High Rebounds: 9 - Shanel Harrison
Box Score: View Game Audio: Listen Photo Gallery: View

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Alyssa Fenyn (So., Newark, N.Y.) scored a career-high 17 points while Brittany Gordon (Sr., Howard County, Md.) added a season-high 13 points, but the #25 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets walked out of Cassell Coliseum with a 78-57 victory in ACC action Thursday night.

Fenyn was 5-of-9 from the field and hit 6-of-7 from the foul line while adding three assists and three steals to her totals. Gordon hit 5-of-7 from the floor and added six rebounds and a career-high tying three blocks (done eight times) to her line. Shanel Harrison (Jr., Washington, D.C.) was a rebound shy of her first double-double of the season with 12 points and nine boards.

“This was certainly a much better effort tonight against a top 25 opponent,” said head coach Beth Dunkenberger. “I thought we had nice stretches on the defense, where we were able to rattle them and force them into 20 turnovers.

“Today, I think it was evident by only 13 turnovers against a team that is one of the better defenses out there. I think we saw that we were able to play team basketball. I was proud today, that they stuck together and played hard.”

Gordon helped the Hokies build an early three-point lead, scoring the first basket of the game, then she followed a Fenyn three pointer with a short jumper 2:30 into the contest, and the Hokies led 7-4.

Second-chance points were the key to Georgia Tech’s offense early, as its first nine points and 13 of its first 17 came from the offensive glass. After Sasha Goodlett converted a three-point play, the Yellow Jackets claimed their first lead at 9-7.

Georgia Tech finished the contest with a 21-10 edge in second-chance points and also dominated in fast-break points, 20-3, and points in the paint, 48-26.

“We gave up too many points in transitions, too many and-ones and too many second-chance points,” said Dunkenberger. “When we shared the ball on offense, I thought we looked good. Unfortunately, we forced up some shots early in the offense and I think that led to some of their transition buckets.”

Nikki Davis (Sr., Lexington, Ky.) knocked down a three at the 14-minute mark to give the Hokies their last lead of the contest at 11-9 as Georgia Tech responded with six straight points.

Virginia Tech (9-11, 0-6 ACC) did manage to tie the game at 15-all after Brittni Montgomery grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in with 10 minutes left in the first half.

However, over the next eight and a half minutes, the Hokies went into a scoring drought, turning the ball over six times and missing 10 shots. If it weren’t for Gordon, who was 2-for-4 from the floor and hit a pair of free throws in the stretch, it could have been worse.

In fact, when Gordon scored on a lay-up with 3:58 left before intermission, which was her season-high 11^th point of the game, the Yellow Jacket lead was just three at 25-22.

“Coming out, we started out strong as you can see we were hanging in there for awhile,” said Gordon. “It wasn’t necessarily better score-wise, but we definitely played together and I feel like that will improve as we continue to play in the ACC.”

Tyaunna Marshall put an end to any Hokie thoughts of an upset over the next minute of the half, scoring eight straight points to push her team’s lead into double figures at 33-22.

Trailing by nine at the break, Fenyn twice pulled the Hokies to within six in the second on a three-point play to start the half, then on a lay-up a minute later.

Georgia Tech (18-5, 6-1 ACC), though, used a 24-3 run over the next six minutes to take control of the game. Marshall scored 10 of her career-high 22 in the span before heading to the bench for all but a minute the rest of the way.

The Hokies, whose January opponents include five ranked teams and a total 128-39 record (.766), will finish the month at #15 North Carolina, Sunday, with tip time scheduled for 2 p.m

For updates on Virginia Tech women's basketball, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_WBBall).