February 21, 1999
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland senior Kelley Gibson was the recipient of a gift on Sunday afternoon as four double-figure scorers helped the Terrapins down Georgia Tech, 92-79, in the final home game of Gibson's career.
Gibson, who scored nine points and added eight assists, received her going away gift in front of Maryland's largest crowd of the season -- 3,124 that included baseball legend Cal Ripken and his daughter as part of Girl Scout Day at Cole Field House.
Maryland (6-20, 3-13) shot 55 percent from the floor and scored 90 points for the second time this season while securing a seventh-place tie in the Atlantic Coast Conference with Wake Forest. The Terps will face the Demon Deacons next Friday, Feb. 26 in the opening game of the ACC Tournament. Georgia Tech, seeded #6 in next week's tournament, faces #3 seed North Carolina in an opening round game on Saturday, Feb. 27.
Junior center Branka Bogunovic led the assault with freshman forward Deedee Warley who combined for 42 points, 22 rebounds and 70 percent shooting inside the paint. Bogunovic shot 8 of 12 from the floor while scoring 22 points with 16 rebounds to record her eighth double-double of the season. Warley scored 20 points on 9 of 12 shooting which included a string of seven straight field goals after an opening miss to begin the second half.
Freshman guard March Strickland added 19 points on 8 of 12 shooting including a career-best three 3-pointers. Point guard Tiffany Brown rounded out the Terps' double-figure quartet with 14 points and 11 assists, playing all 40 minutes for the 14th time in her 18 games..
Maryland led the entire game as Gibson got her own party started with the game's opening bucket. The Terps led 13-6 out of the gate, and let the Yellow Jackets (13-13, 6-10) with a bucket at 19-17 with 8:17 left in the first half, but Maryland opened the game again by outscoring Georgia Tech 22-13 the rest of the half.
Tech, led by Kenya Williams who scored a game-high 27 points, pulled within six, 49-43 on consecutive Williams layups early in the final period. Bogunovic scored a lay-in with 13:39 remaining to push the lead to eight and after a pair of Warley baskets, the lead was 12 and the Yellow Jackets never threatened again. The Maryland victory snapped a four-game losing skid for the Terps.||
