February 6, 2019

Banks’ Big Night Not Enough for Jackets in Defeat

THE FLATS – James Banks led Georgia Tech with 13 points, eight rebounds and seven blocked shots but it wasn’t enough to overcome Clemson’s second-half shooting surge in the Yellow Jackets’ 65-42 loss to the Tigers on Wednesday night at McCamish Pavilion.

Most notably, Banks’ career-high seven blocked shots were just one shy of Georgia Tech’s record for blocks in an Atlantic Coast Conference game (8), which is shared by Alvin Jones (Jan. 6, 2001 vs. Maryland) and Ben Lammers (Jan. 18, 2017).

Despite Banks’ work around the basket, Clemson (14-8, 4-5 ACC) made 62.5 percent of its field-goal attempts in the second half (15-of-24) and outscored Georgia Tech 32-18 after the break to pull away for the victory.

Clemson’s Marquise Reed led all scorers with 19 points.

Georgia Tech (11-12, 3-7 ACC) returns to action on Sunday with a road game at Notre Dame. The game tips at 6 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

Brandon Alston scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting off the bench in Wednesday’s loss to Clemson.

Post-Game Notes

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Georgia Tech starting lineup: Alvarado, Devoe, Moore, Gueye, Banks III
First subs for Georgia Tech: Cole, Haywood for Gueye, Moore – 13:37-1^st half
On the floor for Georgia Tech at the end: Phillips, Moore, Sjolund, Wright, Gueye
Opening tap won by Georgia Tech: Georgia Tech has won the opening tap 14 times in 23 games this season
Series record vs. Clemson: Georgia Tech is 63-73 overall, 43-26 at home, 1-5 under Josh Pastner, 4-16 vs. Brad Brownell
Current series trend: Clemson has won the last four meetings
Georgia Tech is 9-6 at McCamish Pavilion this season, 81-43 in its sixth season in the building, 38-17 under Josh Pastner
Georgia Tech is 2-5 on the road this season, 2-6 away from McCamish Pavilion
Georgia Tech’s next game: Sunday, Feb. 10, at Notre Dame (6 p.m., Purcell Pavilion)

TEAM NOTES

Georgia Tech employed its ninth different starting lineup this season against Clemson, inserting freshman Khalid Moore for Curtis Haywood II in the starting five that also included Jose Alvarado and Michael Devoe at the guards, Abdoulaye Gueye at big forward and James Banks III at center.
Devoe, a freshman, has started Tech’s last 14 games, having made his first collegiate start at Arkansas. Moore started his eighth game and first since Jan. 19 vs. Louisville. Banks has started the last 17 straight games in the post. Gueye has started 12 games, and Alvarado 21.
No Yellow Jacket has started every game this season, and 10 different players have started three or more games.
Tech used eight players in the game for 13 or more minutes, and 11 Jackets played altogether. At least eight players have seen significant minutes in all of Tech’s games this season, despite a variety of injuries and illnesses.
Tech made a season-low 13 field goals, and its 43 attempts were one more than its season low. The Jackets have converted just 33.9 percent of its shots from the floor in the last four games, and 20.3 percent from three-point range.
Tech’s 42 points were a season low and the fewest the Jackets have scored in a game since Jan. 22, 2015 (a 57-28 loss at Virginia).
Clemson’s 39-24 rebounding advantage (+15) was the largest margin against Georgia Tech this season, and the Tigers scored 17 points on second chances, also the most against the Jackets this season.
Wake Forest (74.4 ppg, scored 79) and Clemson (71.4 ppg, scored 72 in the first meeting) remain the only Georgia Tech opponents to exceed their season scoring averages this season this season against the Yellow Jackets this season. Tech had held every other opponent this season under its season scoring average – breakdown by game: Lamar 81.8 (69), Tennessee 85.5 (66), East Carolina 71.1 (54), UTRGV 70.2 (44), Prairie View A&M 69.2 (54), Northwestern 73.5 (67), St. John’s 83.5 (76), Florida A&M 63.2 (40), Gardner-Webb 82.9 (79), Arkansas 81.8 (69), Georgia 79.2 (70), Kennesaw State 62.5 (57), USC Upstate 70.9 (63), Virginia Tech 81.1 (52), Syracuse 70.9 (59), Louisville 79.9 (79), Notre Dame 74.7 (61), Duke 88.6 (66), North Carolina 88.1 (77), Florida State 77.8 (59), Clemson 71.2 (65 in second meeting).

PASTNER’S KEY METRICS

Assists to made field goals: The Jackets have 169 assists on 274 field goals (61.7 percent) in its last 10 games. The Jackets are at 57.9 percent for the season, 44^th in the nation, and 56.2 percent in ACC games. Tech assisted on eight of 13 made field goals (61.5 percent) against Clemson, exceeding its nightly goal of 60 percent.
Free throws made to opponents’ attempts: Tech is 37-17 under Josh Pastner when attempting more free throws than the opponent. Tech connected on 12-of-16 free throw attempts to Clemson’s 5-of-10 (nightly goal of making more than opponent tries accomplished).
Turnovers: Tech has averaged 15.3 turnovers per game this season, 16.1 in ACC games to date (3.2 more per game than opponents). Target each night is 11 or fewer, which Tech has met twice this season (both wins). More telling for Tech under Josh Pastner is that when Tech has committed fewer turnovers than its opponent, it is 22-13. When it has committed more, it is 20-27.
Guard rebounding: The group of Alvarado, Alston, Devoe, Haywood, Moore and Phillips has combined to take 275 of Tech’s 591 defensive rebounds this season (46.5 percent). Tech’s guards combined for 11 of Tech’s 18 defensive rebounds against Clemson.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

James Banks III scored in double digits (team-high 13 points vs. Clemson) for the first time in four games and for the 11^th time this season. He established career highs for free throws made and attempted by hitting 7-of-10 (had been 2-for-3 total in four games prior). His eight rebounds also were his most since grabbing 10 against Notre Dame (his last double-double).
Banks is Tech’s leading scorer (12.3 ppg) and rebounder (5.8 rpg) in ACC games, and he has hit 52.7 percent of his shots from the floor.
Banks set a career high for blocked shots with seven, surpassing his previous best of five.
Senior guard Brandon Alston was the only other Tech player to reach double figures against Clemson (11 points), doing so for the first time since the ACC opener against Wake Forest and for the ninth time this season. Alston went 4-for-6 from the floor and 1-for-2 from three-point range.
Alston also went 2-for-2 from the foul line, extending his current streak to 12 straight makes dating back to his 6-for-6 game against Wake Forest. Dating back to the Dec. 1 St. John’s game, he has made 22 of his last 23 attempts.