March 3, 2019

Jackets Down BC in OT

THE FLATS — Sophomore Jose Alvarado and freshman Michael Devoe combined to score 41 points, including eight of Georgia Tech’s 11 in overtime, to lead the Yellow Jackets to a 81-78 OT win over Boston College on Sunday night at McCamish Pavilion.

Alvarado led all scorers with 21 points while Devoe added 20 in the overtime triumph. James Banks (18 points) and Moses Wright (10) rounded out four scorers in double-figures for the Yellow Jackets. The foursome combined to make 27-of-49 field-goal attempts (55.1 percent).

Tech led by as many as nine points before Boston College (14-14, 5-11 ACC) rallied to force overtime. However, the Jackets never trailed in overtime, thanks in large part to Devoe, who made a layup early in the period that gave Tech a four-point lead and a three-pointer with 1:19 left on the overtime clock that stretched the advantage to five.

The Yellow Jackets close the regular season on Wednesday at NC State. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. and will be televised regionally, including on Fox Sports South in Atlanta.

Michael Devoe’s 20 points were just two shy of a career high.

Post-Game Notes

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Georgia Tech starting lineup: Alvarado, Devoe, Haywood II, Wright, Banks III
First subs for Georgia Tech: Moore, Gueye for Wright, Banks – 13:13-1st half
On the floor for Georgia Tech at the end: Alvarado, Devoe, Haywood II, Moore, Gueye
Opening tap won by Boston College: Georgia Tech has won the opening tap 17 times in 30 games this season
Series record vs. Boston College: Georgia Tech is 15-12 overall, 7-2 at home, 2-2 under Josh Pastner, 3-4 vs. Jim Christian
Current series trend: Georgia Tech has won three of the last five meetings
Georgia Tech is 11-7 at McCamish Pavilion this season, 83-44 in its sixth season in the building, 40-18 under Josh Pastner
Georgia Tech is 2-9 on the road this season, 2-10 away from McCamish Pavilion
Georgia Tech’s next game: Wednesday, March 6, at NC State (9 p.m., PNC Arena)

TEAM NOTES

For the last five games, Georgia Tech has started out in a 4-out, 1-in alignment, starting Moses Wright and freshman Kristian Sjolund at the forward spots along with guards Jose Alvarado and Michael Devoe and post man James Banks III. Head coach Josh Pastner made a tweak to that by inserting Curtis Haywood II into the starting five in place of Sjolund, creating the 12^th different starting lineup for the Yellow Jackets this season.
Haywood made his 19^th start this season and first since Feb. 13 at Virginia Tech, while Wright started for the 19^th time this season. Devoe, a freshman, has started Tech’s last 21 games, Banks has started the last 24 games in the post, and Alvarado has started 28 games.
No Yellow Jacket has started every game this season, and 10 different players have started three or more games.
Tech played its first overtime game of the season and first since an 80-72 loss at Boston College last Feb. 4. The Yellow Jackets are 2-1 in overtime games in three seasons under Josh Pastner (won at VCU 12/7/2016). Tech’s last overtime in an ACC game was an 88-85 win over Clemson in the 2016 ACC Tournament.
Tech won for the first time this season wearing navy uniforms (had lost to No. 5 Tennessee and No. 2 Duke on the road), and for the first time since Jan. 15, 2017 at NC State. Tech is 3-12 when wearing navy uniforms under Josh Pastner.
Tech utilized its shortest playing rotation of the season – seven players – in the win over Boston College. At least eight Yellow Jackets, and often nine of 10, have played in every ACC game. Freshman Kristian Sjolund, who had started four straight games, did not play, nor did senior Brandon Alston and sophomore Evan Cole.
Tech posted its highest scoring total (81 vs. Boston College) since the ACC opener against Wake Forest (92-79), and scored 80 or more for the fourth time this season. The Jackets have 70 at the end of regulation, their most in two halves of basketball since Jan. 12 (73-69 win at Syracuse).
Tech’s 31 field goals and 61 attempts against Boston College were season highs in the ACC. Tech has attempted more three-point field goals (25 vs. BC) twice all season.
Tech ‘s 40 first-half points were its most in the first half of an ACC game this season, and the fourth-most in any half of a conference game for the Jackets. Tech has led at the half in only six ACC games, and the largest lead has been seven (BC and Pitt).
Tech matched its season high for second-chance points (15 vs. Arkansas and Georgia) in the first half and finished the game with 19, a team high under Josh Pastner.
Tech, which had averaged more than 15 turnovers per game this season, has held its turnover total under 10 for the last two games, committing a season-low seven turnovers at Virginia (the team’s fewest since giving up a season-low six in last season’s game at Virginia) and following that with nine against Boston College. The Jackets last committed fewer than 10 turnovers in back-to-back games was last season against Clemson and Syracuse (Jan. 28 and 31, nine in each game).
Tech has shot 50 percent or better in eight games this season, three during conference play, after connecting on 50.8 percent against Boston College. The Jackets shot 50 percent in six games last season (three ACC games), and five times (once in ACC play) in 2016-17.
Tech has averaged 7.6 threes and shot 34.2 percent from beyond the arc in their last seven games. In the five games before that, the Jackets shot 14-for-96 (14.6 pct.) from bonus range.

PASTNER’S KEY METRICS

Assists to made field goals: The Jackets are at 57.2 percent for the season (52^nd in the nation) and 55.6 percent in ACC games. Tech assisted on 19 of 31 made field goals (61.2 percent) against Boston College, making its nightly goal of 60 percent.
Free throws made to opponents’ attempts: Tech is 38-17 under Josh Pastner when attempting more free throws than the opponent. Tech connected on 11-of-20 free throw attempts to BC’s 11-of-15 (nightly goal of making more than opponent tries not accomplished).
Turnovers: Tech has averaged 14.5 turnovers per game in ACC play, and only forced 11.5. Target each night is to commit 11 or fewer, which Tech has met only in its last two games. More telling for Tech under Josh Pastner is that when Tech has committed fewer turnovers than its opponent, it is 22-14. When it has committed more, it is 22-30.
Guard rebounding: The group of Alvarado, Alston, Devoe, Haywood, Moore and Phillips has combined to take 345 of Tech’s 757 defensive rebounds this season (46 percent). Tech’s guards combined for 13 of Tech’s 23 defensive rebounds against BC.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

Jose Alvarado has led Tech in scoring for five straight games, averaged 19.8 points over that stretch. He has hit 32-of-63 shots from the floor (50.8 percent), 12-for-28 from three-point range (42.9 percent). The 6-foot sophomore scored 17 against Florida State, 29 vs. Pittsburgh, 20 at Miami, 12 at Virginia and 21 against Boston College. Alvarado had scored a total of 25 points, attempting just two free throws, in the six games prior.
Alvarado has scored (32) or assisted (20) on 52 of Tech’s 97 field goals in the last five games. In those five games, he also has 23 rebounds and nine steals.
Alvarado has hit 23-for-31 from the free throw line (74.2 percent) in his last five games after going five straight games without attempting one.
Alvarado played more than 44 minutes and committed only one turnover. He has just six turnovers over his last seven games.
Michael Devoe posted his second 20-point game this season with 20 against Boston College, hitting season highs in field goals made and attempted (8-of-17) and three-pointers made and attempted (4-of-9). The 6-4 freshman averages 10.8 points (No. 3 on the team), 3.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists in ACC games, and he has hit a team-best 44.4 percent of his three-point tries, leading the Jackets with 32 threes in conference play. Devoe is 23-of-49 from three-point land (46.9 pct.) in his last eight games.
Devoe played all 45 minutes, his second complete game this season, and did not commit a turnover for the second time this season (none in 23 minutes vs. Kennesaw State).
The 41 points combined for Alvarado and Devoe (14-for-31 FG, 7-15 3pt, 8 assists, 1 turnover) against Boston College was the highest total between them this season. Each player has scored in double digits in Tech’s last three games and combined to score 96 of Tech’s 197 points.
James Banks III rebounded from his first scoreless game as a Yellow Jacket with two straight double-figure games, 11 points and seven rebounds at Virginia followed by 18 and nine rebounds against Boston College. He hit 12-of-18 shots from the floor and 5-of-5 from the foul line in the two games.
Alvarado, Devoe and Banks have each scored in double figures in the same game six times this season, and Tech has won four of those games. They combined for 45 of 69 points at Arkansas, 49 of 92 against Wake Forest, 43 of 63 in the first meeting against Notre Dame, and 59 of 81 against Boston College. The other two games were Georgia (36 of 59) and Virginia (33 of 51).
Moses Wright has reached double figures in two of his last three games (19 vs. Miami, 10 vs. Boston College) and averaged 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in his last six games (he had scored just six points in the five games prior to that). The 6-9 sophomore has connected on 27-of-51 shots (52.9 pct.) from the floor in those six games.
Curtis Haywood II continues to struggle with his shooting, but was a key cog in Tech’s win over Boston College with seven rebounds and six assists. The 6-5 sophomore had a career-high seven assists to go with his 15 points when Tech won at Syracuse on Jan. 12.
With Tech opting for a 4-out, 1-in approach at Virginia Tech in an effort to inject extra shooting into the lineup, Abdoulaye Gueye has not started the last seven games. After playing just four minutes at Virginia Tech, however, he has averaged 16 minute off the bench in Tech’s last five games, scoring 31 points (14-of-27 FG) with 16 rebounds. In ACC games, Gueye has averaged 8.7 points and 3.9 rebounds, while hitting a career-high 52.5 percent of his field goal tries.
Underrated stat line of the night against Boston College belonged to freshman Khalid Moore, who missed both of his field goal attempts and went 3-of-6 from the foul line, but he had three rebounds, three assists and no turnovers in 19:06, and posted Tech’s best plus/minus score at plus-15.