Jackets roll over Grambling

ATLANTA, Ga. - Georgia Tech bounced back nicely from its first loss of the season.

The Yellow Jackets shot 53 percent from the field and led by as many as 40 points in a 97-64 victory over Grambling State Tuesday at McCamish Pavilion.

Tech (4-1) was coming off a Sunday loss to rival Georgia, but never trailed against the visitors from the SWAC. Five players were in double figures, led by starting guards Kaela Davis (20 points) and Sydney Wallace (18 points), who combined to hit 16-of-28 field goal attempts. Grambling State (2-4) trailed 31-21 after a 3-pointer by Yosha Watson with about six and a half minutes to play in the first half, but the Tigers wouldn’t get any closer as Tech finished the opening half on a 16-5 run - Simina Avram and Roddreka Rogers each had four points during the spurt - and the hosts led 47-26 at halftime.

Things went even better in the second half for Tech, which improved to 17-3 all-time against the SWAC. The Yellow Jackets hit 61 percent of their shots over the final 20 minutes, led by Wallace, who scored 16 of her points on 7-of-10 shooting.

Tech scored the first six points of the second half as Wallace hit a jumper and converted a lay up and Davis knocked down a jumper. Antonia Peresson handed out two of her five assists during the three-minute run and the Yellow Jackets led 53-26 at the 17:06 mark.

Martin tried to keep the visitors from Louisiana close, converting a lay up and hitting a 3-pointer for five of her team-high 18 points, but Tech was too tough in the pre-holiday, non-conference tilt. The Yellow Jackets out-rebounded Grambling State 45-18, led by Rogers, who finished with 15 rebounds to go along with 10 points. Meanwhile, Wallace scored seven straight Tech points, while Peresson hit a three and it was a 71-41 game with 11 1/2 minutes to play.

Grambling pulled to within 18-11 at the 13:03 mark of the first on a 3-pointer by Mariah Gilliam.

Zaire O’Neil had four of her eight first-half points during a 9-2 Tech run that made it a 27-13 game with 8:39 to play in the first. It was still just a 40-26 game after a Bre-Nae Andrews three, but Tech finished the half with a Rogers’ put back and a 3-pointer by Katarina Vuckovic’s and it was a 21-point cushion at the break.

O’Neil scored 13 points and Aaliyah Whiteside added 10 for Tech. Three other Tigers were in double figures, led by Shakierya McClendon’s 14 points.