Tech Drops Tight One at Virginia

Charlottesville, Va. – Michael Devoe scored 17 points, and Rodney Howard came off the bench to score 10 as Georgia Tech trimmed a 17-point first-half deficit down to two late in the game. But the Yellow Jackets fell short, 63-53, in an Atlantic Coast Conference basketball game Saturday at John Paul Jones Arena.

Tech (10-14, 3-10 ACC) trailed 32-15 with 1:48 left in the first half, but scored the last four points before the break and the first seven coming out to get within 32-26. The Jackets got as close as two points (49-47) with 5;44 remaining on Devoe’s three-pointer, but Jayden Gardner answers with a layup and a jumper for the Cavaliers (16-9, 10-5 ACC), who outscored Tech 14-6 from there.

Tech never drew as close again, and the Cavaliers went 6-for-6 from the foul line in the final 1:06 to preserve their fourth consecutive win.

The Jackets limited UVA to 9-of-27 (33.3 percent) from the floor in the second half while hitting 48.1 percent (13-of-27) themselves after intermission. Tech took only 12 three-point shots, making four, and held the Cavaliers to 4-of-18 from beyond the arc. Virginia scored 19 points off Tech’s 15 turnovers and 12 points from offensive rebounds, covering nearly half their scoring in the game.

Jordan Usher, who went scoreless in the first half, scored Tech’s first five after the break and finished the game with 11.

Gardner led Virginia with 26 points, 15 of them in the first half. Kihei Clark added 15 as the Cavs’ only other player in double-digits, including a pair of big three-point field goals that answered Tech runs, one when the Jackets had drawn to within 46-42 with 8:27 left and another with the score 54-49 with 2:34 remaining.

Georgia Tech returns to Atlanta to play host Tuesday night to NC State at McCamish Pavilion. The game tips off at 8 p.m. and will be televised on the ACC Network.

 

Rodney Howard did not start for the first time in six games but came up big with 10 points, five rebounds and three assists. (photo by Keith Lucas)

 

Post-Game Notes

• Tech switched up its starting lineup for the first time in six games, inserting Jordan Meka for Rodney Howard in the post. Tech has utilized eight different starting lineups this season.
• Tech utilized 10 players against Virginia, and eight of them scored. At least nine players have seen action in 18 of the Jackets’ 24 games, and in nine of 13 ACC games.
• Tech reserves outscored Virginia, 20-7, and has outscored the opponent bench 79-20 in the last two games. The Jackets’ bench has outscored that of its opponent in 14 of 24 games this season (only six of 26 last season).
• Tech has held a halftime lead in only three ACC games this season – Notre Dame on Jan. 8, Clemson Saturday and Miami Wednesday. The Jackets lost two of those games. Tech’s 19 points at Virginia was a season low for a first half.
• Tech’s 53 points at Virginia matched a season low (also 53 vs. USC on Dec. 18).
• Tech has permitted ACC opponents to shoot just 32.2 percent from three-point range this season, 15-of-64 in the last three games (23.4 percent). If Tech’s two games against North Carolina are removed (19-of-42), the Jackets’ yield is 28.6 percent.
• Tech has won the turnover battle in seven of its last 10 games (lost 15-10 to Virginia) and has forced 14.1 turnovers against ACC teams this season (No. 2 in the conference).
• Tech has reached double digits in steals in seven of its last 10 games after getting seven at Virginia The Yellow Jackets are No. 2 in the ACC in steals in conference play (9.1 per game) and ahead of their 2020-21 pace, when they led the ACC (9.0).
• Michael Devoe and Jordan Usher scored 28 of Tech’s 53 points. Michael Devoe and Jordan Usher have accounted for 47.3 percent of the Yellow Jackets’ scoring for the season, and have either scored or assisted on 68.3 percent of Tech’s field goals. However, in Tech’s 10 wins, they have contributed just 41.4 percent of its total points.
• Tech has committee more fouls than its opponent in 18 of 24 games this season (75 percent of the time). In Josh Pastner’s first five seasons, the Jackets did so in 65 of 157 games (41.4 percent of the time).

• Michael Devoe now has 1,577 points in his Tech career and ranks 17^th in career points on the Flats. He needs 10 to catch John Salley (1,587 from 1982-86) for 16^th place and 11 to catch Bruce Dalrymple (1,588 from 1983-87) for 15^th
• Jordan Usher had scored in double digits 20 times this season and in 15 of Tech’s last 16 games.
• Usher has made a three-point field goal in 10 straight games and is 17-of-56 from distance over that stretch. The last time Usher did not make a three was Jan. 4 at Duke, when he did not attempt one,
• Deebo Coleman went scoreless for the first time this season. The freshman had averaged 8.6 points over his previous nine games, reaching double figures four times and hitting 44.1 percent of his three-point attempts (19-of-43) over that stretch.
• Rodney Howard (10 points against Virginia) reached double figures in points for the first time since Nov. 26 vs. Georgia Southern. It was his fourth double-figure game of the season and his career high against an ACC team. He hit 5-of-7 from the floor and added five rebounds and three assists against the Cavaliers.
• Deivon Smith has averaged 7.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists, 54.2% FG (32-59) over his last 10 games. The sophomore point guard scored eight points (4-5 FG) and did not turn the ball over in 17:26 at Virginia, his fifth turnover-free game this season.

Deivon Smith came off the bench to score eight points and lead Tech’s second half rally. (photo by Keith Lucas)

 

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