Syracuse, N.Y. – In a game that featured 12 ties and 12 lead changes, Syracuse overcame 19 points and 10 rebounds by Georgia Tech’s Rodney Howard to escape with a 74-73 overtime win over the Yellow Jackets on Monday night at the Carrier Dome.
The back-and-forth affair came down to the final seconds. Leading 74-73 with the shot clock off and less than 30 seconds to go in overtime, it appeared that Georgia Tech would have to foul Syracuse to stop the clock and regain possession. However, the Jackets trapped Syracuse’s Buddy Boeheim just across half-court and Kyle Sturdivant made a spectacular play to strip the ball from Boeheim’s hands. The loose ball hit off Boeheim’s leg and caromed out of bounds to give Tech possession with 22 seconds remaining.
On its ensuing possession, Michael Devoe had two shots to give the Jackets the lead, but both missed. However, the Jackets collected offensive rebounds on both misses, the second of which was grabbed by Deebo Coleman, who dished to a Khalid Moore in the paint. As Moore went up for the possible go-ahead layup, three Orange defenders converged and Moore fell to the floor, where he was tied up for a jump ball. Although Moore wasn’t awarded free throws on the play, Tech had the arrow and retained possession with 3.3 seconds left on the clock.
That gave the Jackets one more chance, and they once again went to Devoe, who had already drained four 3-pointers on the night and had 14 points. Unfortunately, his contested 3-pointer rimmed out at the buzzer and Tech was saddled with the heartbreaking one-point defeat.
Georgia Tech (11-16, 4-12 ACC) raced out to an early 12-3 lead, but Syracuse (15-12, 9-7 ACC) quickly rallied and neither team led by more than seven points the rest of the way. The Orange took its biggest advantage of the game at 59-53 with less than five-and-a-half minutes to go in regulation, but the Jackets outscored SU 10-4 down the stretch to send the game to overtime.
Howard continued his torrid play of late, finishing with a career-high 19 points and 10 rebounds, good for his fourth straight game with double-digit points and his second double-double in the last three contests. After not scoring more than four points in any of his first seven ACC games of the season, Howard is averaging 14.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game over the past four contests.
Jordan Usher notched his sixth double-double this season for Tech with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Devoe’s 14 points rounded out three Yellow Jackets in double-figures.
Jimmy Boeheim led four Syracuse players in double-figures with a game-high 20 points.
Georgia Tech returns to action on Wednesday, when it plays its third game in five days against red-hot Virginia Tech, which has won six of its last seven games. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. at McCamish Pavilion and the game will be televised nationally on ACC Network.
Head coach Josh Pastner draws up a play for his team during a timeout in Georgia Tech’s 74-73 overtime loss at Syracuse on Monday night.
Post-Game Notes
- Tech fell to 1-2 this season in overtime games (defeated Georgia State in December), 0-2 in ACC overtime games (Notre Dame, Syracuse).
- Rodney Howard (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Jordan Usher (14 points, 13 rebounds) each had a double-double for Tech, the first time since 11/25/2020 vs. Georgia State that multiple Yellow Jackets posted double-doubles in the same game.
- Tech employed its most frequently used starting lineup this season – Michael Devoe, Kyle Sturdivant, Khalid Moore, Jordan Usher and Rodney Howard – for the 15th Tech has utilized eight different starting lineups this season.
- Tech utilized eight players against Syracuse, and all of them scored. At least nine players have seen action in 20 of the Jackets’ 27 games, and in 11 of 16 ACC games.
- For the second straight game, Tech tied its season high for assists in an ACC game with 18 on 26 made field goals.
- Tech’s bench has outscored that of its opponents 112-41 in the last five games, including 18-7 vs. Syracuse. The Jackets’ reserves have outscored opponents’ reserves in 16 of 27 games this season (only six of 26 last season).
- Tech has won the turnover battle in nine of its last 13 games but was able to force only four from Syracuse. Tech has forced 13.71 turnovers against ACC teams this season (No. 2 in the conference).
- Tech held Syracuse to 32.9 percent from the floor, the lowest percentage an ACC team has achieved against the Jackets this season and the second lowest by any team (28.2 percent by Georgia State).
- Tech has committed more fouls than its opponent in 20 of 27 games this season (74.1 percent of the time), but was even at Syracuse (16-16). 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 77.4 percent of its free throws (65-of-84) over its seven games since a 3-for10 performance Jan. 29 against Miami.
- Rodney Howard has scored in double digits in four straight games (10 at Virginia, 14 with 11 rebounds vs. NC State, 14 at Pittsburgh, career-high 19 with 10 rebounds at Syracuse). The 6-10 junior has scored a total of 15 points in the seven games prior to that.
- Howard has hit 25-of-36 shots from the floor over Tech’s last four games (7-of-12 at Syracuse). He has averaged 14.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in those four games.
- Howard has two double-doubles in Tech’s last three games and three for the season (14/10 vs Miami of Ohio in the season opener).
- Michael Devoe surpassed Roger Kaiser (1,628 points from 1958-61), Georgia Tech’s first All-American, to move into 13th place on Georgia Tech’s career scoring chart. The senior from Orlando, Fla., finished the night with 1,631 career points, and he needs 27 points to catch 12th-place Tony Akins (1,658 points from 1998-2002).
- Devoe has scored in double digits in 22 of 25 games this season.
- Jordan Usher posted his sixth double-double this season, third in an ACC game, with 14 points and 13 rebounds at Syracuse. He also has 16 points and 14 rebounds against Notre Dame, and 15/10 vs. Miami.
- Usher has reached double figures in 21 of 26 games this season.
- Kyle Sturdivant has a 32:12 assist/turnover ratio over his last 10 games dating back to Jan. 23 vs. Clayton State.
