ACC/SEC Shootout Tickets Now on Sale

Oct. 16, 2002

ATLANTA – Tickets to the second annual ACC/SEC Shootout women’s basketball doubleheader, a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl event, are now on sale to the public. All seats are $12 to see Georgia face Georgia Tech at 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27, right after Auburn faces Clemson at 12:30 p.m. in Atlanta’s Philips Arena.

More than 7,800 fans saw the inaugural event, which featured two teams that later played in the NCAA Women’s Final Four: Tennessee and Duke.

“This year’s event is Atlanta’s lead in to the 2003 NCAA Women’s Final Four, which will take place in the Georgia Dome April 6 and 8,” Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl President Gary Stokan said. “We are the Basketball Capital of the World with these great teams and players from the great state of Georgia and the NCAA Women’s Final Four.”

Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 326-4000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Group tickets for parties of 10 or more are $7, and can be purchased by calling the Philips Arena box office at (404) 878-3866.

“Getting the chance to play our biggest rival in Georgia at Philips Arena was one of the best experiences of my college career,” Georgia Tech junior guard Megan Isom of Decatur, Ga. said, referring to last year’s Shootout. “The atmosphere around the game was exciting and playing under the bright lights of an NBA arena made the experience all that much better.”

Isom is one of eight Yellow jackets from the Atlanta area this year, a group that includes four freshmen. Overall 17 local players are expected to compete in this event.

“I’m really excited about playing at Philips Arena just after Christmas this year,” freshman forward/center Kasha Terry of Douglasville said. “It will be great to get the chance to be close to home for the holidays and have so many family and friends in attendance for the game.”

Terry and Isom are joined by Megan Harpring of Duluth, April Johnson of Macon, Alex Stewart of Norcross, Fallon Stokes of Atlanta, Neferti Walker of Riverdale and Kaylin Wells of Marietta for Georgia Tech.

Auburn is led by Le’Coe Willingham, a 6-0 junior from Augusta, Ga. who was second on the team in points and shooting percentage last season.

“It is really great to be close to home over the holidays,” Willingham said. “My son will be able to come to the game because I let him stay with my family over Christmas, so it will be great to have him there.”

Georgia and Clemson, ranked No. 4 and 17 respectively in the All-Star Girls’ Report top 25, each bring in four players from the Atlanta area, including Clemson’s Khaili Sanders, an All-Area Player of the Year at North Atlanta High School last season.

Georgia’s Atlanta-area players include Katie Fry from Jasper, Christi Thomas from Buford, Sherill Baker from Stone Mountain and Mary Beth Lycett from McDonough. Joining Sanders at Clemson are Lauren Allen of DeKalb, Leah Roper of Atlanta and Lakeia Stokes of Covington.

In the inaugural Shootout, then-No. 10 Georgia defeated Georgia Tech, maintaining a perfect record in 24 meetings between the schools. Tennessee defeated Duke 89-68 in a game that featured two teams that would later play in the Final Four.

This season, Auburn plays Clemson for the first time since Dec. 18, 2000, when Clemson upset the then-No. 9 Tigers. Chrissy Floyd, who led Clemson with 23 points in the previous meeting, returns for the rematch.

The event’s sponsor, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, is recognized as the nation’s most competitive bowl game. The bowl’s 35th anniversary game will take place at 7:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve in the Georgia Dome. This year’s anticipated $2 million per team payout will bring the Bowl’s 35-year total payout to more than $58 million. For tickets or more information, visit www.Chick-fil-APeachBowl.com.