(State at GaTech; Thursday February 2nd 8:00 p.m.; ACC Network)

State has a 51 to 24 wins to losses record with regard to Georgia Tech. State first played Georgia Tech in 1980 and proceeded to win the next 16 games, the win streak ending in 1988. Georgia Tech began league play in the ACC in the 1979-80 academic year. State has won 9 of the last 10 matchups with State's last loss coming in February of 2020, a 65-61 loss in Raleigh when Francesca Pan of GaTech scored 30 points on 11-24 from the field; 4-9 from the arc. State defeated Georgia Tech last season in Raleigh 59-48.

From warrennolan, State, 7th place in the ACC, has a 16-5 overall record, a 6-4 conference record, a Live RPI of 9, a NET of 12, an ELO of 12, a SOS of 4, a NET quad one record of 6-4 and a RPI quad one record of 6-4. State does have one blemish loss quad wise that loss being a NET quad 3 loss and a RPI quad 2 loss. It is of course the Boston College loss. Right after B.C. beat us at home they beat as a home game Florida State currently 3rd in the ACC at 8-3. B.C. then lost 5 in a row. Go figure.

Again from warrennolan, Georgia Tech, 14th place in the ACC, has a 11-10 record, a 2-8 conference record, a Live RPI of 78, a NET of 72, an ELO of 79, a SOS of 46, a quad one record of 1-6 and a quad one RPI of 1-8. GaTech does have that one quad one win at NET 43 Michigan State. Ga Tech lost six games in a row before winning two of their last three, both home wins and one being over Syracuse while the other being over Clemson.

With regard to Georgia Tech's roster for 22-23, I though Lotta-Maj Lahtinen would be back as she was a true senior in the 2021-22 season and under the "Covid Rule" appears to have been able to play an additional year as a graduate student; however, she signed with Regeneracom Sports on March 25, 2022. Losing Lotta-Maj and Lorela Cubaj are main reasons Georgia Tech has not fared well this season. Tech did add five-eleven Cameron Swartz formerly B.C.'s leading scorer and a 2022 All-ACC first teamer as a fifth-year player, but that has not been enough to overcome the loss of Lotta-Maj and Lorela.

Swartz leads GaTech in scoring this season at 12.7 ppg shooting 339 from the floor; 282 from the arc. Second in scoring for Tech is five-eleven fifth year player Bianca Jackson at 10.8 ppg. Six-one sophomore Kayla Blackshear leads Tech in rebounding at 6.6 rpg while five-nine freshman Tonie Morgan leads the team in assists at 66. Georgia Tech as a team shoots 376 from the floor; 281 from the arc.

While Swartz did not start in Tech's last game, the win over Clemson, she did play 36 plus minutes. The starters for Tech in their last game were six-three senior Aixa Wone Aranaz, Blackshear, Morgan, five-nine freshman Ines Noguero and five-eleven freshman Kara Dunn. Six-five senior Nerea Hermosa who started all 32 games for Tech last season got 30 plus minutes off the bench.

Nolan picks State to win 73-67 with a 90%-win probability while Her Hoop Stats picks State to win with the game at Georgia Tech 66.6-53.7 with a 88.1%-win probability. Her Hoop Stats Ratings for GaTech value and rank are 11.9 and 85/361. For State they are 36.7 and 6/361. Her Hoop Stats simple RPI for Tech and State are 74 and 7 respectively.

One might think that this game is a "let down game" for State due to the big win over Notre Dame; however, since State followed the big win at Iowa with a win at Georgia, it probably will not be. It could be closer than predicted though. One hopes State has learned its lesson, that lesson being the need to play hard defensively every game with max effort always.

Go Pack!