Updated Aug. 10, 2015
Local coverage of the Bahamas’ Summer of Thunder
Catamaran and snorkeling trip photo gallery
AJC Notebook: Gregory seeking benefits from trip to Bahamas
Paradise Island, The Bahamas – Senior Nick Jacobs scored a game-high 31 points Sunday, helping Georgia Tech overcome a 12-point first-half deficit and outlast the CTG Knights, 77-69, at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium. The win completed an undefeated trip to the Bahamas for the Yellow Jackets.
The CTG Knights presented a bigger, more athletic team and a more physical style of play that either of Georgia Tech’s first two opponents on the island. They took a 20-8 lead midway through the opening period before head coach Brian Gregory called a timeout. The Jackets scored the next six points to trail 20-14 at the end of the period.
Jacobs, a 6-8 post player from Atlanta, scored 10 of his 14 first-half points in the second quarter as the Jackets caught up to the Knights and the two teams exchanged leads. Travis Jorgenson, who finished the game with nine points and four assists, drove the lane for a layup as the buzzer sounded, giving Tech a 36-35 lead.
Gregory’s team led by as many as six points in the third period before a late three by Trevon Grant cut the margin to 56-54 at the close. Jacobs scored eight in the quarter, going 6-for-6 from the free throw line. The Jackets pulled away in the fourth, outscoring the Knights 21-15 behind eight more points from Jacobs and seven from Jorgenson, who made all four of his free throws in the final minute to ice the game.
Full photo gallery of the action
Jacobs went 11-for-15 from the field in the game, and 9-for-10 from the free throw line, and was the only Jacket in double figures. Seven other players scored, with Tadric Jackson adding nine, Charles Mitchell eight and Josh Heath six.
Tech shot 43 percent from the floor (30-for-69) and 1-for-13 from three-point range, and outrebounded the Knights 42-37.
The Jackets have one more day on the island before returning home Tuesday.
“Let’s take another step in our commitment to play the way Georgia Tech plays.” #GTBahamas pic.twitter.com/HfWahabHxB
— GT Men’s Basketball (@GTMBK) August 9, 2015
AUGUST 8 – SEVEN JACKETS IN DOUBLE FIGURES IN 115-70 WIN OVER PROVIDENCE STORM
Unaffected by lots of time in the sun over the last 36 hours, Georgia Tech returned to the court with great energy Saturday evening and surpassed 100 points for the second straight game in a 115-70 victory over Providence Storm at Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.
Watch the highlights
Full photo gallery of the action
Sophomore Tadric Jackson led seven Yellow Jackets scoring in double figures with 21 points, while senior forward Nick Jacobs added 16 in his first action on the trip. Jackson hit eight of 13 shots from the floor, while Jacobs was 8-for-12.
Head coach Brian Gregory’s team didn’t shoot the three (4-of-16) as well Saturday but made plenty of hay inside and from mid-range, making 49 of 82 shots overall (60 percent) in notching its second straight 100-point game. The Jackets racked up 29 assists on their 49 field goals and defeated the Storm on the boards, 54-31.
Charles Mitchell added 15 points (7-of-9 FG) for Tech, while Corey Heyward and Sylvester Ogbonda chipped in with 13 each, Travis Jorgenson scored 11, and Ben Lammers had 10 points with seven rebounds.
Gregory went with a starting lineup of Heyward, Jorgenson and Quinton Stephens on the perimeter, with Abdoulaye Gueye and Nick Jacobs in the post positions. All 11 available players played and scored, including Tech’s lone walk-on, sophomore forward Rand Rowland, who scored from the baseline with 3:04 left in the third period.
Similar to Thursday night’s game, the Yellow Jackets took some time getting going, emerging from the opening period tied 19-19. But Tech scored 33 points in the second period, opening a 20-point lead at the half, and 33 more in the third period for an 85-53 advantage. The Jackets hit the century mark with 5:26 left in the game.
Tech has a quick turnaround for its final game Sunday, 1:30 p.m. against the CTG Knights.
Box score from tonight’s game. #GTMBK 49/82 FG (60%), 29 assists, win boards 54-31. pic.twitter.com/fBrXzEYQ2P
— GT Men’s Basketball (@GTMBK) August 9, 2015
AUGUST 7 – JACKETS CONDUCT CLINIC FOR LOCAL YOUTH ORGANIZATION
Head coach Brian Gregory and the Georgia Tech basketball team went into Nassau on Friday morning to visit a youth organization and put on a clinic for the kids in the area.
For about an hour, Gregory set up his team to help conduct drills in dribbling, shooting and defense, and heard the story of the organization’s leader who overcame involvement with gangs to turn around his life, and founded the youth organization to give back to his community.
VIDEO OF THE DAY: Coach Gregory leads the group in defensive drills
Tech had the rest of the day off and will be back on the court Saturday night to face the Providence Storm in the second of three scheduled games at Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium in Nassau.
Some great life and basketball lessons learned today. Blessed and honored to be in the Bahamas. #GTBahamas pic.twitter.com/MFfa7jAcRD
— Coach Brian Gregory (@GTBrianGregory) August 7, 2015
AUGUST 6 – JACKETS DOWN ATLANTIS ALL-STARS, 101-60
Charles Mitchell scored 18 of his 28 points in the second half, leading five Georgia Tech players in double figures as the Yellow Jackets defeated the Atlantis All-Stars, 101-60, Thursday night at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium in Nassau.
Ready to play after 24 hours soaking up sun and surf, Tech scored early and often in both its half-court offense and in transition, building a 32-12 lead after the first quarter and a 57-27 bulge at halftime. The Jackets hit 38 of 67 shots from the floor (57 percent), including 6-for-11 from three-point range, and assisted on 21 of its 38 field goals.
Watch the entire game in a YouTube playlist
Full photo gallery of the action
Read local recap with photos of the game
Bahamas Tribune recap of the game
Mitchell, a senior from Atlanta, went 10-for-12 from the floor and 8-for-9 from the free throw line and took 10 rebounds in the game. Quinton Stephens, a junior from Atlanta, scored 17 points, hitting 6-of-9 from the floor, including both of his three-point attempts. Corey Heyward, a junior from Duluth, Ga., added 13 points, while Tadric Jackson, a sophomore from Tifton, Ga., scored 12, and Josh Heath, a junior from Tampa, Fla., chipped in with 10 points and five assists.
Tech scored 101 points without senior forward Marcus Georges-Hunt and graduate transfer guard Adam Smith, who are sitting out the three games on this trip protecting injuries. They rank No. 7 and 8 in 2014-15 scoring average among returning players in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Head coach Brian Gregory started Heath and Jackson at the guards, Stephens at small forward, with Mitchell and Ben Lammers at the post positions, promising to shuffle the starting five for each game this weekend. Lammers, a sophomore from San Antonio, Texas, grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds and scored nine points on 2-of-4 shooting.
Travis Jorgenson recorded six assists and did not turn the ball over in 22 minutes off the bench.
The Yellow Jackets have a community service activity planned for Friday morning, then return to the court to face the Providence Storm Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
— GT Men’s Basketball (@GTMBK) August 7, 2015
AUGUST 4 – JACKETS COMPLETE PRACTICES, HEADS FOR PARADISE ISLAND
Georgia Tech’s basketball team has completed its allowable 10 practices in preparation for its trip to the Bahamas, and the Yellow Jackets will depart for the island country Wednesday morning.
In the first trip out of the country for Tech’s basketball team since the summer of 1991, the Jackets have games scheduled for Thursday night, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon against three local Bahamian teams at Kendall Isaacs National Gymnasium in Nassau. The team will stay at the Atlantis Resort, and the Jackets have a community service outing scheduled for Friday and a catamaran excursion Monday.
Head coach Brian Gregory’s fifth Tech team returns three starters, including senior forward Marcus Georges-Hunt, the sixth-leading returning scorer in the Atlantic Coast Conference and promising sophomore scoring guard Tadric Jackson, as well as one of the top double-double practitioners in the ACC in senior forward Charles Mitchell. All told, 10 letterwinners are back, including six of the team’s top nine scorers. The Jackets also welcome to their ranks the ACC’s top three-point shooter from last season, Adam Smith, transferred from Virginia Tech, and high-scoring forward Nick Jacobs, a transfer from Alabama who sat out the 2014-15 season.
Gregory, stressing the bonding and chemistry opportunity of the trip as much as the basketball competition, said Tuesday that Georges-Hunt and Smith will not play in the games as a precaution in their recovery from injuries. Georges-Hunt is on schedule in his recovery from a broken foot suffered in early March, and Smith has missed five practices after a recurrence of a leg injury sustained two years ago while at Virginia Tech.
NOTES: Georgia Tech has conducted all of its practices leading up to the Bahamas trip with a 24-second shot clock … In Marcus Georges-Hunt (13.6 ppg) and Adam Smith (13.4), Georgia Tech has the No. 7 and 8 individuals in scoring average among returning players in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Only Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh have two returning players on that list … Ten of Tech’s 13 scholarship players have significant Division I starting experience. Eight of the Jackets’ returning players started at least three games in 2014-15, and those players have combined for 178 starts in a Tech uniform. Transfers Nick Jacobs (29), Adam Smith (59) and James White (51) combined for 129 starts at their former schools.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL
Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team is beginning its fifth year under head coach Brian Gregory. The Yellow Jackets have been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, won three ACC Championships (1985, 1990, 1993), played in the NCAA Tournament 16 times and played in two Final Fours (1990, 2004). Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball on social media by liking their Facebook Page, or following on Twitter (@GTMBK).
For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com. Tickets for men’s basketball can be purchased here.
