Duke Rallies Past Jackets, 66-53

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Durham, N.C. – Abdoulaye Gueye scored 14 points, Michael Devoe added 11 and Georgia Tech put up a stout defensive effort, but No. 2 Duke rallied from an eight-point deficit early in the second half to outlast the Yellow Jackets, 66-53, Saturday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Tech (11-9, 3-4 ACC) limited the nation’s highest scoring major college team to its lowest point total of the season, holding Duke to 27 first-half points and 29.6-percent shooting from the floor. The Jackets extended their 29-27 halftime lead to 38-31 on a Gueye layup with under 15 minutes to go in the game before Duke charged back with a 13-0 run to take control of the game.

Ultimately, Tech’s second-half mistakes – 11 of its 19 turnovers came from that point – proved costly as the Blue Devils array of freshman talent got on track. R.J. Barrett led Duke with 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Zion Williamson scored 22 points with seven boards as the Blue Devils converted 51.6 percent of their field goals after intermission.

But Tech remained successful limiting Duke’s three-point shooting as the Blue Devils managed to hit only two of 21 attempts.

Jose Alvarado finished the game with seven points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Evan Cole gave the Jackets 23 good minutes off the bench with seven points and three rebounds. James Banks III picked up three fouls in the first 10 minutes of the game, and eventually fouled out after scoring just four points with two rebounds in 20 minutes

Tech returns to action Tuesday night against 11^th-ranked North Carolina at McCamish Pavilion. The game tips at 7 p.m. and will be televised regionally on the ACC’s Regional Sports Network (Fox Sports South in Georgia).

Jose Alvarado scored seven points with eight rebounds in six assists for the Jackets.

 

Post-Game Notes

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

• Georgia Tech starting lineup: Alvarado, Devoe, Haywood II, Gueye, Banks III
• First subs for Georgia Tech: Ogbonda for Banks  – 16:12-1^st half
• On the floor for Georgia Tech at the end: Haywood, Phillips, Ogbonda, Sjolund, Wright
• Opening tap won by Duke – Georgia Tech has won the opening tap 11 times in 20 games this season
• Series record vs. Duke: Georgia Tech is 23-73 overall, 5-36 on the road, 0-3 under Josh Pastner, 19-59 vs. Mike Krzyzewski
• Current series trend: Duke won the last 12 meetings
• Georgia Tech is 9-4 at McCamish Pavilion this season, 81-41 in its sixth season in the building, 38-15 under Josh Pastner
• Georgia Tech is 2-4 on the road this season, 2-5 away from McCamish Pavilion
• Georgia Tech’s next game: Tuesday, Jan. 29, vs. North Carolina (7 p.m., McCamish Pavilion)

 TEAM NOTES

• The Yellow Jackets went with the starting lineup that it used to win the Syracuse game – Alvarado, Michael Devoe and Curtis Haywood II on the perimeter, Gueye and James Banks III in the frontcourt – for the second straight game and third time this season. Tech also won the Notre Dame game Tuesday night using this lineup.
• Devoe, a freshman, has started Tech’s last 11 games, having made his first collegiate start at Arkansas. Haywood started his fifth straight game and 15^th of the season, while Banks has started the last 15 straight games in the post. Gueye has started nine games, and Alvarado 18.
• Georgia Tech has used eight different starting lineups this season. No Yellow Jackets has started every game this season, and 10 different players have started three or more games.
• Tech wore its new Navy uniforms for the first time since its Nov. 16 game at Tennessee.
• Tech used its shortest rotation of the season, seven players with double-digit minutes, although Moses Wright played 6:19, despite both of its post players incurring foul trouble in the first half. A total of 11 Jackets played in the game 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 held Duke, the ACC’s highest scoring team, coming in at 88.6 points per game, 22 points under its average and to its lowest total (66) of the season. The Jackets also held the Blue Devils to their lowest shooting percentages of the season from the floor (41.4 for the game, 29.6 in the first half) and from three-point range (2-for-21).
• Tech’s last two opponents have combined to hit 39.8 percent from the floor and 9-of-51 from three-point range.
• Wake Forest (74.4 ppg, scored 79) and Clemson (71.4 ppg, scored 72) are 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).
• Tech set season lows for free throws and attempts (2-for-6).
• Tech has shot 47.3 percent from the floor and 31.6 percent from three-point range in ACC games, compared to 45.2 percent from the floor and 30.5 percent in its non-conference schedule.
• Since the Dec. 22 game against Georgia, in which Tech scored 59 points and shot 32.3 percent from the floor, the Yellow Jackets have averaged 67.4 points, shot 49.8 percent from the floor, 32.4 percent from three-point range and assisted on 63.2 percent of their made field goals (141-of-223).
• Tech’s ACC opponents have attempted 88 more shots from the floor and 75 more three-point field goals than have the Yellow Jackets through seven games. The Jackets have outshot them, percentage-wise, 47.3-38.9 percent from the floor and 31.6-25.4 percent from three-point range. The Jackets have attempted 19 more free throws but made two fewer.

PASTNER’S KEY METRICS

• Assists to made field goals: The Jackets have 141 assists on 223 field goals (63.2 percent) in its last seven games. The Jackets are at 58.2 percent for the season, 23^rd in the nation, and 56.6 percent in ACC games. Tech assisted on 11 of 24 made field goals (45.8 percent) against Duke, coming up short of its nightly goal of 60 percent.
• Free throws made to opponents’ attempts: Tech is 37-15 under Josh Pastner when attempting more free throws than the opponent. Tech connected on 2-of-6 free throw attempts to Duke’s 16-of-19 (nightly goal of making more than opponent tries not accomplished).
• Turnovers: Tech has averaged 15.3 turnovers per game this season, 16.4 in ACC games to date (3.8 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 20-25.
• Guard rebounding: The group of Alvarado, Alston, Devoe, Haywood, Moore and Phillips has combined to take 240 of Tech’s 512 defensive rebounds this season (46.1 percent). Tech’s guards combined for 15 of Tech’s 24 defensive rebounds against Duke.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Abdoulaye Gueye, who missed Tech’s games against Clemson and Louisville with an unspecified medical condition, posted his fourth straight double-digit scoring game with a team-high 14 points against Duke, his high for an ACC game this season. He also matched his season high with eight rebounds. He scored 11 against Virginia Tech and 10 in a start at Syracuse, the game in which he was injured, then returned to score 13 with eight boards against Notre Dame. The 6-9 senior is Tech’s third-leading scorer in ACC games (10.2 ppg over five games) and has hit 48.9 percent shots from the floor.
• Freshman Michael Devoe has started 11 straight games and logged eight double-figure scoring games this season. He has scored 11 points in each of his last two games against Notre Dame and Duke, hitting 9-of-16 shots from the floor and adding six assists and six steals. Devoe scored 16 against Wake Forest in the ACC opener on Jan. 5, and has averaged 9.4 points while making 8-of-20 three-point attempts in conference games.
• Jose Alvarado played a solid all-around game with seven points, a team-high eight rebounds and six assists against Duke. The sophomore has 14 double-figure scoring games this season and nine in his last 11 games. Since a 3-for-20 afternoon against Georgia, the gritty 6-foot guard has hit 31-of-70 from the floor, 13-of-35 threes, in his last eight games. He averages a team-leading 14.2 points and 3.2 assists in ACC games, hitting 39.3 percent from three-point range.
• James Banks III, who came into the Duke game as Tech’s top scorer and rebounder in ACC play, was held to two points (2-5 FG) and four rebounds after incurring three fouls in the first nine minutes of the game. He eventually fouled out after 20 minutes. He averages 14.0 points and 5.7 rebounds while hitting 56.9 percent of his field goal tries.
• Freshman Kristian Sjolund can say he has hit a three-pointer at Cameron Indoor Stadium. It came with 23 seconds left in the game for Tech’s final points.

 

Evan Cole came off the bench to score seven points and grab three rebounds.

 

 

 

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Coach Josh Pastner Press Conference