Jackets Fall at Notre Dame, 69-59

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South Bend, Ind. – Michael Devoe scored a career-high 18 points and Abdoulaye Gueye added 12 for the Yellow Jackets, but Notre Dame took advantage of 20 offensive rebounds and pulled away from Georgia Tech in the second half Sunday night for a 69-59 Atlantic Coast Conference victory at the Purcell Pavilion.

Tech (11-13, 3-8 ACC) lost for the fifth straight time despite holding the Fighting Irish to 32.8-percent shooting from the floor and 22.2 percent from three-point range. Notre Dame scored 20 points on second chances, which enabled the Fighting Irish (13-11, 3-8 ACC) to overcome a one-point halftime deficit and outscore the Jackets, 45-34, after intermission.

T.J. Gibbs led four Notre Dame players in double figures with 20 points, including eight from the foul line. D.J. Harvey scored 18 for the Fighting Irish, with Prentiss Hubb adding 13 and John Mooney notching another double-double with 11 points and 14 boards.

James Banks scored nine points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Yellow Jackets. Devoe, who hit 4-of-5 three-point field goal attempts, added a season-best eight rebounds and six assists.

Georgia Tech returns to action Wednesday night with the back end of this two-game road swing when the Yellow Jackets visit No. 11/10 Virginia Tech. Tip time at Cassell Coliseum is 8 p.m., and the game will be televised regionally on the ACC’s Raycom Sports Network (Peachtree TV in Atlanta).

Michael Devoe set career highs for points, three-point field goals, rebounds and assists against Notre Dame.

Post-Game Notes

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

• Georgia Tech starting lineup: Alvarado, Devoe, Haywood II, Gueye, Banks III
• First subs for Georgia Tech: Moore for Gueye  – 13:25-1^st half
• On the floor for Georgia Tech at the end: Alvarado, Devoe, Haywood II, Gueye, Banks III
• Opening tap won by Georgia Tech: Georgia Tech has won the opening tap 15 times in 24 games this season
• Series record vs. Notre Dame: Georgia Tech is 11-9 overall, 2-8 on the road, 3-3 under Josh Pastner, 6-7 vs. Mike Brey
• Current series trend: Notre Dame won the last meeting
• 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 2-6 on the road this season, 2-7 away from McCamish Pavilion
• Georgia Tech’s next game: Wednesday, Feb. 13, at Virginia Tech (8 p.m., Cassell Coliseum)

 TEAM NOTES

• Curtis Haywood II returned to the Georgia Tech starting five that also included Jose Alvarado and Michael Devoe at the guards, Abdoulaye Gueye at big forward and James Banks III at center. That lineup has started six games this season, and the Yellow Jackets are 2-3 in those games. Tech has used nine different starting lineups this season.
• Devoe, a freshman, has started Tech’s last 15 games, having made his first collegiate start at Arkansas. Haywood made his 17^th start of the season. Banks has started the last 18 straight games in the post. Gueye has started 13 games, and Alvarado 22.
• 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 nine or more minutes, nine 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 has lost all six meetings against Notre Dame on the road since the Fighting Irish joined the ACC, and the two teams have held serve at home each of the last four seasons.
• Tech’s seven three-point field goals were a season high against an ACC team and the most since the Yellow Jackets hit eight against Kennesaw State on Dec. 28.
• Georgia Tech has held 15 of its 24 opponents, and six of its 11 ACC foes, under 40 percent from the floor. Notre Dame shot 32.3 percent and 32.8 percent in its two meetings with the Yellow Jackets.
• Notre Dame also secured 20 offensive rebounds in each meeting against Georgia Tech, and outrebounded the Jackets overall by six in each meeting. Sunday night, the Fighting Irish turned the 20 rebounds into 20 second-chance points, a season high against Tech. The Irish had 18 second-chance points in the first meeting. The Yellow Jackets have given up 37 second-chance points in their last two games.
• 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), Notre Dame 71.7 (69 in second meeting).

PASTNER’S KEY METRICS

• Assists to made field goals: The Jackets have 182 assists on 296 field goals (61.5 percent) in its last 11 games. The Jackets are at 58.0 percent for the season, 44^th in the nation, and 56.5 percent in ACC games. Tech assisted on 13 of 22 made field goals (59.1 percent) against Notre Dame, falling short of 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 8-of-13 free throw attempts to Notre Dame’s 21-of-25 (nightly goal of making more than opponent tries not accomplished).
• Turnovers: Tech has averaged 15.2 turnovers per game this season, 15.9 in ACC games to date (3.4 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 20-28.
• Guard rebounding: The group of Alvarado, Alston, Devoe, Haywood, Moore and Phillips has combined to take 288 of Tech’s 618 defensive rebounds this season (46.5 percent). Tech’s guards combined for 13 of Tech’s 27 defensive rebounds against Notre Dame.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Freshman Michael Devoe set season highs for points (18), rebounds (8) and three-point field goals (4-for-5), and matched his season high for assists (6), field goals and attempts (6-for-13).
• Devoe is 6-for-9 from three-point range in his last two games, 13-for-24 since the Louisville game on Jan. 19, and has hit 45.9 percent in ACC games (17-for-37).
• Abdoulaye Gueye has averaged 12.0 points and 5.1 rebound over his last eight games, and has scored in double digits in seven of those. The 6-9 senior has connected on 52.6 percent of his shots from the floor (41-of-78) in the same stretch.
• In ACC games, Gueye is Tech’s second-leading scorer (11.0 ppg) and second-highest percentage shooter (51.9 pct.).
• James Banks III grabbed 12 rebounds against Notre Dame, his first game in double digits since the first meeting against the Fighting Irish on Jan. 22, when he posted his last double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. The 6-9 junior missed his seventh double-double by one point.
• Banks blocked four Fighting Irish shots and has 11 in his last two games. He ranks No. 2 in the ACC in blocked shots in all games (2.52 pg), behind Notre Dame’s Juwan Durham, and is No. 2 in conference games (2.64 pg) behind Clemson’s Elijah Thomas.
• Banks remains Tech’s leading scorer (12.0 ppg) and rebounder (6.4 rpg) in ACC games. He has connected on 53 percent of his shots from the floor in conference games.
• Freshman Kristian Sjolund saw his most extensive action of the ACC season, playing 9:41 and scoring a season-best seven points, including a pair of three-point field goals. The 6-7 forward went 3-for-5 from the floor and had an assist. His season high for minutes has been 11 against East Carolina, and he had gone 2-for-11 from three-point range on the season prior to Sunday.
• Devoe and Jose Alvarado each played the full 40 minutes against Notre Dame, It was the first time Devoe has done so, and was the 10th career complete game for Alvarado. They had two turnovers between them (zero for Alvarado).
• Alvarado and Curtis Haywood continued to struggle shooting the ball, combining to go 2-for-16 against Notre Dame, 1-for-12 from three-point range. Alvarado is 3-for-20 from long distance in his last five games (3-for-30 overall in his last three games), Haywood 1-for-29 in his last seven. Alvarado has not been to the free throw line in his last four games.
• Though Haywood has not shot the ball well over the last seven games, but he has rebounded at a high clip (4.1 per game) and has 14 assists against nine turnovers with nine steals in the same stretch. Alvarado has averaged 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists during his five-game shooting slump.
• Moses Wright did not play for the first time since Jan. 12 at Syracuse, Evan Cole for the first time since Dec. 22 against Georgia (when he was still recovering from an ankle sprain that cost him seven games).

Abdoulaye Gueye scored in double digits for the seventh time in his last eight games.

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