Nov. 20, 2014
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech continues its 100th season of basketball and concludes its season-opening three-game homestand Friday night by hosting IPFW at 7 p.m. at McCamish Pavilion.
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Tech (2-0) has opened its fourth season under head coach Brian Gregory by defeating state-rival Georgia, 80-73, for its fourth straight win in the series and following that with a 66-46 win over Alabama A&M. IPFW (2-0), which won a school-record 25 games a year ago, has defeated Manchester, 74-50, at home, and SIU-Edwardsville, 74-71, on the road to open its first season under head coach Jon Coffman.
Friday’s game will not be televised, but the game can be viewed online on ESPN3 with Richard Musterer and former Tech star Jon Babul calling the action. The Georgia Tech IMG Radio Network, with flagship station WCNN (680 AM/93.7 FM) will also carry the game with Brandon Gaudin and Randy Waters describing the action.
Tech will travel to Orlando next week for the Orlando Classic over Thanksgiving weekend, opening against Marquette at 8:30 p.m. Thursday night.
FOUR THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TUESDAY’S GAME
• Georgia Tech is looking for its third straight 3-0 start with a win Friday. The Yellow Jackets have begun a season 3-0 just five times since their Final Four season of 2003-04. • Tech has started 2-0 for the fourth straight season. Dating back to last season, the Yellow Jackets have won five of their last six games. • Tech has never met IPFW, and has played a member of the Summit League only once, a 98-92 loss to IUPUI on Dec. 29, 2001 at Alexander Memorial Coliseum. • Tech is 23-13 in two-plus seasons in McCamish Pavilion, and is 30-21 at home under Brian Gregory.
TECH GOES 2-0 WITH 20-POINT WIN OVER ALABAMA A&M
Demarco Cox scored 13 points, and Charles Mitchell added 12 and had 14 rebounds, to power Georgia Tech to a 66-46 win over Alabama A&M on Tuesday night.
Cox, a 6-foot-8, 276-pound senior transfer from Ole Miss was 6 of 8 from the floor. Mitchell, a 6-foot-8, 269-pound junior transfer from Maryland, grabbed nine offensive rebounds.
Georgia Tech (2-0) also got eight points each from Marcus Georges-Hunt, who added five rebounds, and freshman Tadric Jackson. Alabama A&M (0-2) was led by Nicholas West with 11 points and Ladarius Tabb’s 10.
Georgia Tech used three substantial first-half runs to put Alabama A&M away early. An 11-0 spurt punctuated by a Mitchell basket gave the Yellow Jackets a 13-6 lead. Georgia Tech then used a 7-0 stretch to complete a 20-5 run and took a 22-11 lead on a tip-in by Quinton Stephens with 6:29 left in the half. The Yellow Jackets stretched it out with a 10-2 run to end the first half for a 34-20 lead.
Alabama A&M got as close as 13 points when a layup by West with 13:56 left made it 43-30, but Georgia Tech responded with a 13-2 spurt that put the game out of reach.
Georgia Tech’s size prevented Alabama A&M from taking the ball inside and the Bulldogs also had little success outside. Alabama A&M shot just 36 percent from the floor and only 26.9 percent on 3-point attempts.
The Yellow Jackets outrebounded Alabama A&M, 45-26, produced 40 points in the paint and scored 20 on second-chance baskets.
QUICK HITS FROM THE ALABAMA A&M GAME
• Georgia Tech led 34-20 at the half. The Jackets are 35-16 when leading at the half under Brian Gregory.
• Georgia Tech out-rebounded Alabama A&M, 45-26, and has out-rebounded both of its 2014-15 opponents. The Jackets are 38-25 under Gregory when out-rebounding their opponent.
• Tech has attempted 27 free throws in each game and averaged 16 points from the free throw line so far. The Yellow Jackets have gotten to the free throw line progressively more each year under Brian Gregory (15.2 pg > 16.2 > 19.3 > 27.0) and accounted for more of their points from the line each year as well (9.9 pg > 10.3 > 13.2 > 16.0).
• Georgia Tech held Alabama A&M to 36.2 percent from the floor. Tech is 26-13 under Brian Gregory when holding its opponent under 40 percent, and 41-11 when shooting a higher percentage than its opponent.
• Tech held an opponent under 50 points for the 10th time under Brian Gregory. The Yellow Jackets are 9-1 in those instances.
• Tech is 38-5 when leading at the 5-minute mark of the second half under Brian Gregory.
• Tech utilized 11 players against Alabama A&M, and none played as many as 30 minutes. That last happened in the 2013-14 season opener against Presbyterian.
• Josh Heath started in place of Travis Jorgenson, who was held out as a precaution with soreness in his surgically repaired right knee. It was Heath’s fifth career collegiate start (started the last four games of the 2013-14 season at South Florida). He finished with seven points, seven assists and no turnovers in 28 minutes.
• Charles Mitchell notched the sixth double-double of his career (12 points, 14 rebounds), and his first in a Georgia Tech uniform. It also was the 13th double-digit rebound game of his career, and the 17th double-figure scoring game of his career.
• Demarco Cox reached double figures for the second straight game in a Georgia Tech uniform and for the sixth time in his career.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL
Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team is beginning its fourth 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.
