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Jackets Look to Continue Home Court Success

Jan. 29, 2011

Complete Game Notes
Official ACC Men’s Basketball Site

ATLANTA – Looking to stay unbeaten at home in Atlantic Coast Conference play, Georgia Tech entertains Maryland for a 7:45 p.m. nationally-televised game Sunday at Alexander Memorial Coliseum. It is the second of three ACC Sunday Night Hoops appearances for Tech on the Fox Sports Net.

The Yellow Jackets (10-9, 2-3 ACC) are in a group of four teams tied for fifth place in the middle of the ACC standings (along with Clemson and Virginia Tech). Tech has won its three ACC games at home by an average of 23.3 points, including a 72-57 victory over Virginia Tech Tuesday night.

Tech won its three home games on the strength of its defense, which has limited North Carolina, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech to 51.3 points on average, 31-percent shooting from the floor and 5-of-38 from three-point range. Tech also has averaged 11.3 steals and forced an average 18 turnovers in those three games

The Jackets, who are 8-2 at home overall this season, play three of their next four games at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

Head coach Paul Hewitt’s team, which returns two starters and eight letterwinners from a team that reached the championship game in last year’s ACC Tournament and won their first-round game in the NCAA Tournament, is one of the youngest in the ACC, with freshmen and sophomores making 65 of 95 possible starts and playing more than 70 percent of the minutes. Tech has been picked to finish ninth in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Maryland (13-7, 3-3 ACC) comes to Atlanta for the first time since the 2008-09 season, after a 66-42 win at Virginia Thursday night. The Terrapins, 3-2 on opponents’ home courts this year. have won their last two games to even their conference record.

Sunday is the only regular-season meeting this season between the Yellow Jackets and Terrapins, who have won three straight games at Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Tech’s last home court win over Maryland was an 81-71 decision on Jan. 17, 2004.

Game Data

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (10-9, 3-3 ACC) vs. Maryland Terrapins (13-7, 3-3 ACC)
Date: Sunday, January 30, 2011
Tipoff: 7:45 p.m. Eastern time
Site: Alexander Memorial Coliseum (capacity 9,191), Atlanta, Ga.
Television: Fox Sports Net – Tim Brando, play-by-play; Mike Gminski, color; Jenn Hildreth, reporter
Radio: Georgia Tech Sports Network from IMG College, live on flagship station WQXI-AM (790 the Zone) and WYAY-FM (106.7) – Wes Durham, play-by-play; Randy Waters, color.
Satellite Radio: Sirius Ch. 121; XM Ch. 141
Tech Tickets: 888-TECH-TIX or click here
Tech Record Breakdown: 8-2 at home, 0-6 on the road, 2-1 neutral
Series History: Maryland leads, 37-34 (Tech leads 17-10 at Alexander Memorial Coliseum)
At Alexander Memorial Coliseum: Georgia Tech is 554-190 in its 54th and final season in the building.

Series History – Tech vs. Maryland

> Georgia Tech snapped a nine-game losing streak in the series with its 69-64 win over the Terrapins in the 2010 ACC Tournament, Maryland had won nine in a row in the series to pull ahead of Georgia Tech all-time.

> Still, Tech’s 34-33 record against Maryland since 1979-80 is its best mark against any ACC team since the Jackets joined the league.

> Tech is 5-13 against Maryland under head coach Paul Hewitt, 3-4 in Atlanta. Tech is 17-25 vs. Gary Williams-coached Maryland teams.

> Twelve of the 18 games between Tech and Maryland since Paul Hewitt became the head coach have been decided by 10 points or fewer.

> Tech is 17-10 against Maryland in Alexander Memorial Coliseum, 19-10 in games played in Atlanta. The Terps have won their last three games at the Thrillerdome, however, are 11-6 against Tech on its home court under Gary Williams, and are 4-3 in the building against Paul Hewitt-coached Tech teams.

> Maryland won the first nine games of the series, but Tech turned the tables under head coach Bobby Cremins, winning 28 of 35 meetings (including 10 in a row at one point) through the 1995-96 season. The Terps won the next seven in a row before Cremins’ last Tech Jacket team won 69-68 at home on Jan. 15, 2000.

Last Year vs. Maryland

Feb. 20 in College Park – Reserve guard Cliff Tucker buried a 3-pointer as time expired, and Maryland pulled out a 76-74 victory.

After Derrick Favors gave Georgia Tech the lead with a follow-up basket with three seconds left, Maryland got the ball to midcourt before calling a timeout. The Terrapins got the ball to Tucker, whose shot from the left corner found the bottom of the net, setting off a celebration at the sold out Comcast Center.

Favors had 21 points and 18 rebounds, both season highs, and Iman Shumpert scored 17 for the Yellow Jackets.

Hayes hit a 3-pointer with 1:19 left to give Maryland a 71-68 lead. After Favors made a layup, Dino Gregory botched a layup for the Terrapins. Favors pulled down his 17th rebound for the Yellow Jackets, who took a timeout to set up a play.

D’Andre Bell scored on a drive with 24.5 seconds remaining and Vasquez followed with a shot in the lane before Favors scored, setting up Tucker’s game-winner.

Mar. 12 in the ACC Tournament Iman Shumpert scored 14 points and made the key defensive play that lifted Georgia Tech past No. 19 Maryland 69-64 in the Atlantic Coast Conference quarterfinals.

Maurice Miller added 13 points for the seventh-seeded Yellow Jackets. They blew most of a 19-point lead and had 25 turnovers.

Greivis Vasquez had 17 points on 6 of 21 shooting for the second-seeded seed Terrapins. They had the ball and were within one possession of the lead six times in the final 4:30 and didn’t score on any of those possessions.

The last chance came when Maryland trailed 67-64 and Vasquez pulled up for a long 3-pointer with about 6 seconds left. Shumpert knocked the ball from his hands, took off downcourt and was fouled. He and Derrick Favors each hit one free throw in the final 3.7 seconds to seal the Yellow Jackets’ first victory in the series since 2004.

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