Francesca Pan scored 13 of her career-high 30 points in the first six minutes of the third quarter and Georgia Tech built a double-digit lead and withstood a late rally to stun No. 4 N.C. State in a 65-61 win Sunday.
The win marked the second ranked win on the road this season for the Jackets.
The Yellow Jackets (17-9, 8-7 ACC), who had lost six of their past eight games, trailed 30-25 at halftime after missing their last six field-goal attempts of the second quarter and being held scoreless for 3:38. But Pan got going in the third quarter, making 6 of 7 field-goal attempts to help Georgia Tech build a 49-38 lead.
N.C. State (22-3, 11-3), which started 22-1, lost at home for the second time in four days following a defeat to No. 9 Louisville on Thursday.
Wolfpack senior guard Aislinn Konig, who was held to four points by the Cardinals, had her second straight rough outing with no points on just three field-goal attempts against Georgia Tech. The Wolfpack entered the day in a first-place tie with Louisville in the ACC.
Nerea Hermosa added 12 points for Georgia Tech.
Elissa Cunane and Kayla Jones each scored 17 points for the Wolfpack, which shot just 3 of 13 from 3-point range. The Wolfpack cut Georgia Tech's 11-point lead to 51-47 on Cunane's free throws 31 seconds into the third quarter, but two 3-pointers by Pan helped the Yellow Jackets build their lead to 12 points.
That lead almost didn’t hold up as N.C. State removed Cunane from the game to go with a quicker lineup featuring reserve Jada Boyd at center. Boyd scored 10 points in the final five minutes to help the Wolfpack draw within 61-59 with 1:39 remaining.
But a potential tiebreaking shot by Boyd was blocked in the lane on the next possession, and Pan made 3 of 4 free throws in the final 25 seconds as Georgia Tech held on to win.
The Yellow Jackets have experienced a lot of heartbreak this season, but were finally rewarded with a big win on the road. After losing three times in overtime since Jan. 23, Georgia Tech managed to close out a strong performance with a marquee win that will give its NCAA Tournament hopes a huge boost.
The women play host to Louisville on Thursday.
