THE FLATS – On Senior Day at McCamish Pavilion, Georgia Tech seniors Jordan Usher and Michael Devoe combined for 48 points – including 11 of Tech’s 12 points in overtime – to help lead the Yellow Jackets to an 82-78 overtime victory over Boston College on Saturday afternoon.
Usher scored a game-high 30 points and Devoe added 18 for the Yellow Jackets, who also got 16 points from freshman Miles Kelly. The senior duo of Usher and Devoe was especially pivotal in overtime, as Usher scored six and Devoe had five in the extra period to lift Georgia Tech (12-19, 5-15 ACC) to the season sweep over Boston College (11-19, 6-14 ACC).
As has been the case so many times this season, the Jackets raced out to a double-digit lead in Saturday’s game, as they led by 10 points at halftime (41-31) and stretched the advantage to as large as 15 points shortly after the break.
However, as has also been the case on several occasions during the course of the campaign, Tech let the large lead slip away, as a 12-0 Boston College run early in the second half sparked the Eagles’ comeback from the big deficit. BC went on to outscore the Yellow Jackets 39-14 over the final 16:13 to send the game to overtime.
Trailing 75-74 with a little more than two minutes to go in overtime, Usher hit a jumper to give Tech a one-point lead. The Jackets never trailed the rest of the way, outscoring the Eagles 8-3 down the stretch.
The close-game win was a pivotal one for Georgia Tech going into next week’s Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, as the Yellow Jackets had been just 1-7 in games decided by less than five points coming into Saturday’s game, including three losses decided by five or less in their previous four outings. The Jackets improved to 2-2 in overtime games this season and 5-0 in its last five regular-season finales.
Coupled with NC State’s loss to Florida State, Georgia Tech winds up in 14th place in the final ACC regular season standings and will open next week’s ACC Tournament with a 7 p.m. game against No. 11-seed Louisville. All three games in the opening round Tuesday will be televised on the ACC Network. The 69th ACC Tournament will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
In his final game at McCamish Pavilion, Jordan Usher scored a game-high 30 points on Saturday against Boston College. (photo by Danny Karnik)
Post-Game Notes
- Tech improved to 2-2 in overtime games this season (defeated Georgia State, Boston College; lost to Notre Dame, Syracuse)
- Tech and BC have played to overtime six times in the 30-game series.
- Tech improved to 3-7 this season in games decided by five points or fewer (does not count a 72-62 overtime win vs. Georgia State). Four other ACC losses have come by 10 points or fewer. Five of Tech’s last six games have been decided by six points or fewer.
- Tech went back to its most frequently used starting lineup this season for Senior Day, with Khalid Moore back in after a one-game absence along with seniors Michael Devoe and Jordan Usher, and juniors Kyle Sturdivant and Rodney Howard. Tech has used the lineup 18 times. Only Jordan Usher has started all 30 games this season.
- Tech reached 80 points in a game for just the second time in ACC play, both against Boston College.
- Tech posted its highest field goal percentage of the season (56.5 pct.), as well as its highest three-point success rate (42.9 pct.), in an ACC game. The Jackets’ only other 50-percent shooting game against an ACC team came at Boston College on Jan. 12.
- Tech’s nine three-point field goals came from five different players. Its 16 assists came from six different players.
- Tech’s 41 points in the first half against Boston College was its second-highest scoring half in an ACC game this season behind the 45 the Yellow Jackets scored in the second half of the first meeting with BC on Jan. 12.
- Tech utilized eight players against Boston College, and all of them scored. Only twice this season has Tech utilized as few as seven players in a game (Jan. 26 vs. Florida State, March 2 at Clemson). Backup point guard Deivon Smith did not play for the fifth straight game while under concussion protocol. At least nine players have seen action in 21 of the Jackets’ 31 games, and in 12 of 20 ACC games.
- Tech has a current winning streak against three ACC teams (Boston College, Florida State, Pittsburgh), having won the last three meetings against FSU and Pitt, and the last four vs. BC.
- Tech has won the turnover battle in 12 of its last 18 games (15 for Tech to 14 for BC). Tech has forced 13.3 turnovers against ACC teams this season (No. 3 in the conference), and is No. 2 in steals (8.1 per game).
- Tech has committed more fouls than its opponent in 23 of 31 games this season (74.2 percent of the time). In Josh Pastner’s first five seasons, the Jackets did so in 65 of 157 games (41.4 percent of the time).
- Tech has hit 72.2 percent of its free throws (104-of-144) over its 11 games since a 3-for-10 performance Jan. 29 against Miami.
- Jordan Usher scored 30 points – his career high – for the second time this season. Both of them have come in overtime games.
- Usher posted his fifth 20-plus-point game this season, and second against an ACC team (scored 22 at North Carolina Jan. 15, which was his career high vs. an ACC team). He has scored in double digits in 25 of 31 games this season.
- Usher added team highs of eight rebounds and five assists. It was the seventh time this season that he has scored at least 10 points, grabbed eight-plus rebounds and dished five-plus assists.
- Michael Devoe has reached double digits in 26 of his 30 games this season. He remains in 12th place in career points at Tech with 1,688.
- Devoe has taken five or more rebounds in 18 games this season.
- Devoe and Usher combined for 48 of Tech’s 82 points (58.5 pct.). They have accounted for 46 percent of Tech’s points this season over 20 ACC games.
- Freshman Miles Kelly reached double figures for the second time this season with a season-high 16 vs. Boston College. He had 10 in Tech’s Feb. 5 win vs. Clemson.
- Kelly has hit 18-of-41 (43.9) from three-point range over Tech’s last 11 games dating back to Jan. 23 vs. Clayton State. He was 5-for-30 over the Jackets’ first 17 games of the season. He has knocked down three triples in four ACC games, including Boston College Saturday.
