December 9, 2018

Georgia Tech Surges Past Rattlers, 73-40

THE FLATS — Hot-shooting Georgia Tech led from start to finish, downing visiting Florida A&M 73-40 on Sunday afternoon at McCamish Pavilion.

The Yellow Jackets (5-3) dispatched the Rattlers (3-8) early on with a blistering start, shooting nearly 70 percent from the field through the first 15 minutes and 60.9 for the half overall (14-of-23). Once in the driver’s seat, Tech capitalized off of 25 forced turnovers for 31 points, while only committing 18 itself for 10 points.

Individually, Georgia Tech was led by Brandon Alston, who turned in 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 4-for-4 at the line, while freshman Khalid Moore used 10 first-half points to finish with a career-high 14 on the day.

Florida A&M failed to have a single player reach double-digit scoring on the day, with Rod Melton, Jr. finishing with nine points and Kamron Reaves scoring six.

Georgia Tech (5-3) takes next week off for final exams and returns to action Monday, Dec. 17, against Gardner-Webb at McCamish Pavilion. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be live streams on ACC Network Extra.

James Banks scored six points with four rebounds, adding five assists and four blocked shots.

Postgame Notes

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Georgia Tech starting lineup: Alvarado, Alston, Haywood II, Wright, Banks III
First subs for Georgia Tech: Gueye for Banks – 15:56-1^st half
On the floor for Georgia Tech at the end: Cole, Gueye, Ogbonda, Phillips, Sjolund
Opening tap won by Florida A&M: Georgia Tech has won the opening tap three times in eight games last season
Series record vs. Florida A&M: Georgia Tech is 8-0 overall, 8-0 at home, 2-0 under Josh Pastner, 2-0 vs. Robert McCullum
Current series streak: Georgia Tech won the last eight meetings
Georgia Tech is 5-0 at McCamish Pavilion this season, 77-37 in its sixth season in the building, 34-11 under Josh Pastner
Georgia Tech is 0-2 on the road this season, 0-3 away from McCamish Pavilion
Georgia Tech’s next game: Monday, Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m., vs. Gardner-Webb, McCamish Pavilion

TEAM NOTES

For the second straight game, Georgia Tech started Jose Alvarado, Brandon Alston and Curtis Haywood II across the perimeter, Moses Wright and James Banks III in the frontcourt. Banks made his second start this season, Alston his third, Wright his sixth. Haywood is the only Tech player to have started every game.
Tech played all 12 scholarship players for the third time this season, and for the first time since the Tennessee game on Nov. 13. Eleven of them scored in the game.
Tech has deployed at least eight players for significant minutes in each of its eight games so far, nine vs. Northwestern and St. John’s, despite Even Cole missing those games with an ankle injury.
The 40 points in the game by Florida A&M were the fewest allowed by Tech under Josh Pastner, and the fewest allowed by the Jackets since Nov. 22, 2012 (54-36 win over Rice).
The 13 points in the first half by Florida A&M were the second-fewest Tech has allowed in the first half this season (Tech led UTRGV, 42-11 on Nov. 21), and the fifth-fewest the Jackets have surrendered in a half in the modern era (fewest is 8 vs. University of the South in 1980, 11 vs. UTRGV and 12 on two other occasions).
Tech has all eight opponents under their season scoring averages – breakdown by game: Lamar 81.0 (69), Tennessee 82.8 (66), East Carolina 72.7 (54), UTRGV 70.2 (44), Prairie View A&M 69.2 (54), Northwestern 76.0 (67), St. John’s 83.0 (76), Florida A&M 63.2 (40).
Florida A&M shot just 34.8 percent from the floor for the game, the seventh opponent Tech has limited to less than 40 percent. Tech is holding its opponents to 36.2 percent collectively this season, which ranks first in the ACC.
Tech has yielded just 34 three-point field goals in its first eight games (4.3 per game, 25.2 percent). FAMU made just 2-of-11. The 25.2 percent ranks first in the ACC and was No. 6 nationally entering the weekend. The Jackets allowed an average of 7.1 per game and a success rate of 37.9 percent last season.
Tech has outrebounded its opponent four times in the last five games after not doing so in its first three games of the season, and are on the plus side (+0.3) for the first time this season. Tech outrebounded FAMU 31-26, and no Yellow Jacket secured more than four rebounds individually.
Defensively, Tech is forcing 16.1 turnovers and taking 8.8 steals per game, figures which rank third and second, respectively, in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets forced Florida A&M into 25 turnovers and scored 31 points from them, and is averaging 19 points per game off turnovers this season. The Jackets forced an average of 12.6 turnovers per game last season and took 6.9 steals per game.
Tech shot a season-high 54.3 percent against FAMU, the second time this season the Yellow Jackets have exceeded 50 percent. The Yellow Jackets have converted 48.9 percent from the floor at home this season, 37 percent from three-point range.
Tech has connected on just 36.6 percent of its field goals in three games away from home, and 11-of-52 (21.2 percent) of its three-point attempts. But it has converted 81.2 percent of its free throw tries and scored 56 of its 187 points there.
Tech has attempted 152 threes (17.3 per game) and made 48 (6.0 per game), compared to averages of 15.3 attempts and 4.9 made per game in 2018-19. Four different Yellow Jackets have made at least seven three-point field goals so far this season. Tech has hit 31.6 percent of its threes for the season, just below last season’s 31.8-percent clip.
Tech’s bench outscored that of FAMU, 36-17. Yellow Jacket reserves have scored 240 points in eight games (30.0 per game).

PASTNER’S KEY METRICS

Assists to made field goals: Tech assisted on 13 of 25 made field goals (51 percent) against FAMU, missing its nightly goal of 60 percent. The Jackets are at 56.1 percent for the season.
Free throws made to opponents’ attempts: Tech connected on 17-of-22 free throw attempts to FAMU’s 6-for-11 (nightly goal of making more than opponent tries accomplished). Tech is 34-11 under Josh Pastner when attempting more free throws than the opponent.
Turnovers: Tech has 16.1 turnovers per game and taken 8.8 steals per game. The Jackets forced an average of 12.6 turnovers per game last season and took 6.9 steals per game. Tech ranks second in the ACC in steals.
Guard rebounding: Tech’s guards combined for 13 of Tech’s 25 defensive rebounds against FAMU. The fivesome of Alvarado, Alston, Devoe, Haywood and Phillips has combined to take 87 of Tech’s 215 defensive rebounds this season (40.5 percent).

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

Brandon Alston returned to double digits for the third time in four games and for the fifth time this season, scoring a game-high 15 points against FAMU. The graduate senior connected on 1-of-3 from three-point range and is 12-of-21 (57.1 pct.) from distance this season. He had converted 50.8 percent of his field goals tries overall.
For the third straight game, freshman forward Khalid Moore played solidly off the bench, posting his first career double-digit game with 14 points (6-of-6 FG, 2-of-2 on 3s) with three rebounds and two steal with one turnover in nearly 18 minutes against FAMU. Moore has averaged 7.3 points over his last three games (7-of-10 FG, 6-of-6 FT) with five assists and five steals.
Sophomore Evan Cole played for the first time since the second game of the season, having missed Tech’s last five games recovering from a left ankle sprain suffered on the Jackets’ Nov. 13 game at Tennessee. He scored four points, all from the free throw line.
James Banks fell short of his third consecutive double-double (6 points, 4 rebounds vs, FAMU), but set career highs for assists (5) and blocked shots (4) in 27 minutes. The 6-9 junior is 12-for-17 from the floor with 37 rebounds (12.3 per game) in his last three games.
Banks has had at least one blocked shot in each of the seven games he has played, averaging 2.57 for the season (second in the ACC).
Moses Wright started his sixth straight game for Georgia Tech, scoring five points with four rebounds in 17 minutes against FAMU. Wright has two double-digit games (11 vs. UTRGV, 12 vs. St. John’s) in that stretch, and is hitting 47.8 percent of his shots from the floor this season.
Freshman Michael Devoe continues to get his legs under him after missing most of pre-season practice with a big toe injury. Devoe scored eight points (3-of-6 FG, 1-of 2 on 3s) with three assists, one turnover and four steals against FAMU. Devoe is tied for the team lead in steals (15), is averaging 7.8 points for the season and has hit 17-of-21 from the free throw line.
Jose Alvarado played just 19:28 against FAMU after averaging 36 minutes over Tech’s previous three games (36, 34, 38). He remains far-and-away Tech’s minutes leader with 29.8 per game. Alvarado averaged 35 minutes as a freshman before being injured on Feb. 11.