ATLANTA (Nov. 2) – Joe Modderman scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Scott Stewart added 16 points to lead Athletes in Action to an 82-66 victory over Georgia Tech in an exhibition game at Alexander Memorial Coliseum at McDonald’s Center.
Senior Jason Collier led Tech with 13 points and 12 rebounds, and junior center Alvin Jones also had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Jason Floyd added 12 points, and junior transfer Shaun Fein scored 11 points, including three three-pointers, in his first game for the Yellow Jackets.
The Jackets got off to a hot start, building a 27-12 lead midway through the first half behind five three-pointers. Tech led 32-22 after a trey by T.J. Vines with 7:50 to play in the half, but AIA finished the first half with an 18-6 run, taking the lead on Ryan Borowicz’s three-pointer just two seconds before the intermission. AIA quickly extended its lead to six points early in the second half and extended its advantage to as many as nine points.
Tech pulled within three points on a layup by Floyd with 4:19 to play, but Athletes in Action answered with a tip-in by former Louisville player Troy Jackson and a three-pointer by Stewart, and the Jackets never got closer than eight points after that.
“It was a good lesson, and that’s what we needed,” said Tech head coach Bobby Cremins. “I thought we got off the a good start. Obviously we did not look good, and that bothered it me, but it was lesson number one, and the nice thing about it is that it didn’t count.
“Athletes in Action played well, and that was the type of game that we need to take a good look at ourselves. We’ve had some good practices leading up to this, but I’m disappointed that we weren’t sharper.”
Athletes in Action, which featured long-time NBA player James Donaldson at center, hit 10 three-pointers in the game and outrebounded the Jackets 44-42.
“They double-teamed the ball inside nicely,” said Cremins, whose squad managed just 32 percent from the field in the second half and 37 percent for the game. “We had some opportunities but just didn’t shoot the ball well. But that’s why you play exhibition games.”
Tech’s next exhibition is against California All-Stars on Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
