Dec. 22, 2014
Coach Gregory interview | Complete Game Notes
THE FLATS – Looking to continue building momentum late in its non-conference schedule, Georgia Tech makes its last non-conference road trip of the young season with an 8 p.m. game Tuesday at Dayton.
Tech is 8-2 in its fourth season under head coach Brian Gregory after defeating Vanderbilt, 65-60, Saturday at McCamish Pavilion. The Yellow Jackets have won five of their last six games and 11 of 14 dating back to the end of last season.
Dayton, also 8-2 in its fourth season under head coach Archie Miller, is 5-0 at home this season and has won its last 11 straight games at UD Arena. The Flyers are coming off a 78-62 home win over Boston University Saturday.
Tuesday’s game will be televised nationally on the CBS Sports Network. The Georgia Tech IMG Radio Network, with flagship station WCNN (680 AM/93.7 FM) will also carry the game. Dayton’s radio coverage can be heard in satellite radio nationally (Sirius Ch. 93, XM Ch. 194).
Following a six-day break for the holiday, Tech returns to action and finishes its non-conference schedule Dec. 30 vs. Charlotte at McCamish Pavilion.
STARTING FIVE FOR TUESDAY’S GAME
• Georgia Tech finishes out its non-conference schedule with a pair of teams ranked high in the RPI when it visits Dayton (No. 33) next Tuesday and hosts Charlotte (No. 44) on Dec. 30. The Flyers will be the Yellow Jackets’ fifth top-100 opponent this season. The Jackets are 3-1 vs. teams in the top 100 at the time of the game, having defeated Georgia, Rhode Island and Northwestern.
• Tech head coach Brian Gregory will coach his first game at UD Arena since his eight-year term as the Flyers’ head coach. Gregory compiled a 172-94 record from 2004-11 and ranks third in all-time victories at Dayton.
• Tech is 6-7 in its last 13 true road games dating back to the beginning of last season. The Yellow Jackets are 3-1 away from home this season, including a win at Northwestern in their only game on an opponents’ home court.
• This is Tech’s 16th visit to the home court of a non-Power 5 conference school since the turn of the century. The Yellow Jackets are 9-6 in the previous 15, snapping a four-game losing streak with last December’s 58-55 win at Charlotte.
• Tech is looking for its first win over Dayton after three losses (scores on page 2). The Yellow Jackets lost last year’s meeting in Atlanta, lost to a Brian Gregory-coached Flyer team in the 2009 Puerto Rico Tip-Off, and dropped a two-point decision in Tech’s only previous visit to Dayton in December of 1977.
SECOND HELPINGS
Georgia Tech had 20 offensive rebounds (7 by Mitchell, 6 by Cox) and 16 second-chance points against Vanderbilt, which negated the Jackets’ 38.8-to-46.7-percent shooting disadvantage from the floor.
Tech ranks 10th nationally in offensive rebounds per game this season and are No. 2 in the ACC. The Jackets have had varying degrees of success cashing in on those second chances in some games, but have averaged 13.5 points per game off their offensive rebounds.
“They had 10 offensive rebounds in both halves. That’s really where the game was lost for us. They established themselves as the aggressor on the boards. We didn’t have a good response to it,” said Vandy head coach Kevin Stallings.
FEW EASY THREES
Vanderbilt went 3-for-15 from three-point range as Tech continues to defend the three-point line well. The Yellow Jackets have held their opponents to 27.1-percent from bonus distance this season (third-best in the ACC), and their last six foes are 26-for-113 (23.0 pct.).
Tech’s only two losses have come when it failed to defend the three-pointer well. Marquette went 9-for-22, and USC Upstate went 10-for-26.
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.
