ATLANTA – Georgia Tech limited LSU to 38.7 percent shooting from the floor and 3-for-19 from three-point range, but 24 turnovers of its own and 56-percent free throw shooting were too much to overcome in a 69-53 loss to No. 25 LSU on Saturday at State Farm Arena.
Georgia Tech (5-4) raced out to a 24-9 lead in the first half against the undefeated Tigers, but LSU (9-0) closed the half on a 21-10 run to cut the Yellow Jackets’ advantage to 34-30 at the break.
After LSU scored the first six points of the second half to take its first lead of the game at 36-34, Tech briefly regained a 40-38 advantage. However, the Tigers responded with a 12-2 run to a 50-42 lead and the Jackets never got closer than six the rest of the way. A 14-0 late-game run for LSU sealed the defeat.
LSU capitalized on turnovers and offensive rebounds for 52 of its 69 points. Tech’s 24 turnovers were a season high (prev.: 16 – Nov. 12 vs. Stetson), and the Tigers generated 33 points from them. The Jackets also allowed LSU to grab 16 offensive rebounds, which turned into 19 second-chance points.
The turnovers, free-throw shooting and offensive rebounds negated the impressive defensive effort for the Yellow Jackets, who also forced 21 turnovers.
Jordan Usher and Michael Devoe led Georgia Tech with 15 and 12 points, respectively. LSU’s Tari Eason led all scorers with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and 5-of-7 from the free-throw line.
Jordan Usher led the Yellow Jackets with 15 points and added six rebounds and a game-high four steals. (photo by Danny Karnik)
Post-Game Notes
TEAM NOTES
- Georgia Tech is 8-12 all-time at State Farm Area and 1-1 in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event.
- Tech is 0-2 vs. AP top-25 teams this season, and 5-6 since the beginning of the 2020-21 season.
- Tech has lot three straight games for the first time since the 2019-20 season (Notre Dame/Virginia/Louisville and Syracuse/Kentucky/Ball State).
- Tech’s 24 turnovers were its most since committing 24 twice during the 2019-20 season vs. Arkansas and Ball State.
- Tech held LSU to 38.7-percent shooting from the floor, the second-lowest yield of the season and first time an opponent has shot under 40 percent since Stetson (35 percent) on Nov. 12.
- The Jackets have held three foes under 40 percent this season and lost two of those games. Tech is 52-17 under Josh Pastner when holding an opponent under 40 percent from the floor.
- Tech limited LSU to 3-of-19 from three-point range (15.8 pct.), the lowest percentage of the season against the Jackets.
- Tech has outrebounded its opponent in six of nine games this season, but has lost the rebound battle by a 74-50 margin over its last two games.
- After scoring more than 80 points each against Georgia and Charleston Southern, the Yellow Jackets have fallen short of 70 in each of their last four games. Tech’s 53 points were its fewest since scoring 49 vs. Virginia on Feb. 10 last season.
INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS
- Deivon Smith made his second start of the 2021-22 season, replacing Kyle Sturdivant, who had started the first eight games as the Yellow Jackets’ point guard. Smith also started the Charleston Southern game in place of Michael Devoe, who was out with the flu. Smith has started 10 games in his collegiate career.
- Jordan Usher posted his sixth double-figure game of the season, leading Tech with 15 points, and first since scoring 24 against Charleston Southern on Nov. 22. Usher had scored 22 total points in Tech’s last three games.
- Khalid Moore has scored 28 points over Tech’s last three games on 11-of-15 shooting from the floor. The 6-7 senior scored 13 against North Carolina, a career-best vs. an ACC opponent, for his eighth career double-digit game. He scored eight against Wisconsin when he was limited by foul trouble, and seven against LSU. His season high prior to that was five in each of the first three games of the season.
- Michael Devoe has hit a 3 in his last 18 straight games dating back to last Feb. 10 vs. Virginia, and went 5-of-10 from distance against Wisconsin. The 2021 ACC Tournament MVP made at least one in 23 of 26 games last season, including the final 10 in a row.
- Devoe has reached double figures in 18 straight games as well, with that Virginia game being the last time he didn’t, and has done so 67 times in his career. He has scored 20 or more points 24 times.
- Rodney Howard blocked a season-high four shots against LSU and matched his career best (4 vs. N.C. Central as a freshman at Georgia).
Michael Devoe scored 12 points with three assists for the Jackets. (photo by Danny Karnik)
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