Jackets Hold Off Pitt on the Road

Pittsburgh, Pa. – Michael Devoe scored 22 points, including a key three-point field goal that blunted a late Pittsburgh rally, and Georgia Tech put forth a strong defensive effort to secure a 68-62 Atlanta Coast Conference basketball victory over the Panthers Saturday night at the Petersen Events Center.

Tech (11-15, 4-11 ACC) snapped Pitt’s three-game winning streak and its own three-game losing streak by forcing 16 turnovers and holding the Panthers (11-17, 6-11 ACC) to 41.6-percent shooting from the floor, 5-for-20 from three-point range.

For the third straight game, Rodney Howard came up big for Tech with 14 points and seven rebounds before fouling out late in the game, and Jordan Usher provided 10 points along with eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets shot 50 percent in the first half, and Devoe keyed a 16-4 Tech run to close the period by scoring eight of his team’s final 10 points over the final 3:47, sending the Jackets into intermission with a 37-28 lead.

Pittsburgh scored the first six points of the second half to close within three points, but the Yellow Jackets shook off the rally and outscored the Panthers 26-11 over the next 13 minutes, opening its largest lead at 63-45 with 5:43 to go.

Howard scored six of his points during this stretch, but Pitt began to take advantage of his foul trouble while pressuring the Jackets in the backcourt, mounting a 14-0 run to get within 63-59 with 2:09 left. Six of the Panthers’ points game at the free throw line, while big men John Hugley and Mouhamadou Gueye each scored two baskets inside.

Then Devoe found himself wide open on the left wing in transition and knocked down his second three-pointer of the night, restoring the Jackets’ lead to seven at 66-59 with 2:03 left. The Panthers did not get another field goal, and Usher sealed the game with a pair of free throws with 29 seconds remaining.

Gueye scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Pitt, while Hugley also posted a double-double with 18 points and 11 boards.

Georgia Tech remains on the road and will visit Syracuse for a 7 p.m. ACC contest Monday at the Carrier Dome. The game tips off at 7 p.m. and will be televised on the ACC’s Regional Sports Networks (Bally Sports South in Georgia).

Rodney Howard was big inside with 14 points and seven rebounds, his third straight game in double figures. (photo by Alex Mowrey)

 

Post-Game Notes

• Tech’s first five field goals were scored by five different players. It’s first eight field goals came from six different players.
• Tech’s had its highest scoring first half (37 points) since Jan. 26 vs. Florida State (37 points), and its second-most points in a first half of an ACC game this season.
• Tech employed its most frequently used starting lineup this season (14^th time). Tech has utilized eight different starting lineups this season.
• Tech utilized nine players against Pittsburgh, and six of them scored. At least nine players have seen action in 20 of the Jackets’ 26 games, and in 11 of 15 ACC games.
• Tech won all the hustle stat categories in the game against Pittsburgh, scoring 19 points off the Panthers’ 16 turnovers, getting 38 points in the paint, 11 from offensive rebounds, 17 on fast breaks.
• Tech’s bench has outscored that of its opponents 94-34 in the last four games, including 8-0 vs. Pitt. The Jackets’ reserves have outscored opponents’ reserves in 15 of 26 games this season (only six of 26 last season).
• Tech has reached the 70-point mark just three times in ACC games.
• Tech has won the turnover battle in nine of its last 12 games (won 11-16 vs. Pittsburgh) and has forced 14.1 turnovers against ACC teams this season (No. 3 in the conference).
• Tech has reached double digits in steals in seven of its last 12 games after getting six at Pittsburgh. The Yellow Jackets are No. 2 in the ACC in steals in conference play (8.9 per game).
• Tech has committed more fouls than its opponent in 20 of 26 games this season (76.9 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).
• Tech has hit 79.1 percent of its free throws (53-of-67) over its six games since a 3-for10 performance Jan. 29 against Miami.
• Michael Devoe has reached the 20-point mark in 13 games this season and 33 times in his career.
• Devoe surpassed B.J. Elder (1,616 points from 2001-05), star of Tech’s 2004 national runner-up team and Tech’s current director of player personnel, to move into 14^th place on Georgia Tech’s career scoring chart. His three-point field goal at the 2:03 mark pushed him past Elder. The senior from Orlando, Fla., finished the night with 1,617 career points, and he needs 11 points to catch 13^th-place Roger Kaiser (1,628 points from 1959-61).
• Rodney Howard has scored in double digits in three straight games (10 at Virginia, 14 with 11 rebounds vs. NC State, 14 at Pittsburgh). The 6-10 junior has scored a total of 15 points in the seven games prior to that.
• Howard went 6-of-9 from the floor against Pittsburgh and is 18-of-24 over Tech’s last three games. He has averaged 12.7 points and 7.7 rebounds in those three games
• Devoe has made his last 10 free throws (including 4-4 vs. Pitt), dating back to Feb. 9 at Miami (made last two).
• Kyle Sturdivant matched his career high with five assists (had five vs. Clayton State, five vs. Florida Gulf Coast while at USC). He has a 29:11 assist/turnover ratio over his last nine games dating back to Jan. 23 vs. Clayton State.
• Jordan Usher has reached double figures in 21 of 26 games this season. At Pitt he scored 10 points with eight rebounds, five assists and four steals. The last time he had as many rebounds, assists and steals was Tech’s victory over Florida State on Jan. 26 (19 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals).

Jordan Usher added 11 points for the Yellow Jackets. (photo by Alex Mowrey)

 

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