Women's Basketball

Pan, Georgia Tech Fend Off Pitt

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - Francesca Pan scored 12 of her 26 points in the fourth quarter, and seventh-seeded Georgia Tech pulled away from 15th-seeded Pittsburgh on Thursday night for a 68-58 win in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Tournament.

The Yellow Jackets took a 48-45 lead into the fourth quarter and had a 10-2 start to push the lead to 11 just past the midway point. The Panthers scored to make it a nine-point game but Pan, who was 8 of 8 from the foul line in the fourth quarter, helped put the lead in double figures for good.

Georgia Tech (20-10) faces second-seeded and 10th-ranked NC State (25-4) in Friday night's 6 p.m. quarterfinal game. The Yellow Jackets upset the Wolfpack 65-61 when the teams met in Raleigh on Feb. 16.

Nerea Hermosa added 13 off the bench and Lorela Cubaj had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Yellow Jackets versus the Panthers.

Dayshanette Harris scored 21 points for Pitt (5-26), which was coming off an opening day upset of 10th-seeded Notre Dame. Amber Brown added 12 points.

Georgia Tech was just 1 of 10 from 3-point range and shot 40% but turned 18 Pitt turnovers into 20 points and had 10 more offensive rebounds.

OF NOTE:
  * Francesca  Pan led a trio of Yellow Jackets in double-figure scoring with her 26 points and led the Yellow Jackets in scoring for the 12th time this season.
  *   Pan also finished with season/career highs in free throws attempted and made (9-10).
  *   Georgia Tech improves to 16-5 after leading at halftime….and 15-3 when out-rebounding their opponent.
  *   Pitt’s Dayshanette Harris posted her sixth 20-plus points scoring game, the most by a freshman in the program since Brianna Kiesel did it seven times in 2011-12 … Harris scored in double figures for the eighth consecutive game and the 16th time this season.
  *   Pitt freshman forward Rita Igbokwe finished with three blocks Thursday evening. She had multiple blocks in 17 games this season, including 14 of the last 21…. She now holds the records for most blocks in a season by a freshman in program history.