Tech Clips Irish, 86-75

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech men’s basketball shot a blistering 60.7% from the field in the first half and led by 19 points at the break on its way to a 86-75 win over visiting Notre Dame on Tuesday afternoon at McCamish Pavilion.

Combined with a 92-49 win over Alabama A&M last Saturday, Georgia Tech has won two in a row since its Christmas break to even its record at 7-7 overall. The Atlantic Coast Conference victory was the Yellow Jackets’ first of the season (1-2).

In addition to making 17-of-28 field-goal attempts in the first half, Tech held Notre Dame to just 28.1% shooting in the opening 20 minutes (9-of-32), which allowed the Jackets to race out to a commanding 43-24 lead at the break. The Fighting Irish’s 24 first-half points were tied for the fewest allowed by Georgia Tech in an opening period this season.

Sparked by 11-0 and 11-3 runs in the second half, Notre Dame cut Georgia Tech’s advantage to as little as three points with less than six minutes to go. But the Irish would get no closer, as Yellow Jackets led for the final 32:04 of the contest and 38:07 of the game’s 40 minutes in all. The Irish’s only lead of the afternoon was a brief 12-11 edge early in the first half.

Javian McCollum and Duncan Powell both came off the bench to lead Georgia Tech with 21 points apiece. Both totals were season highs for the duo and helped the Yellow Jackets to a whopping 44-15 advantage in bench points. Starters Lance Terry (14 points), Naithan George (11) and Baye Ndongo (10) rounded out five Jackets in double-figures.

Tae Davis led Notre Dame (7-6, 1-1 ACC) with a game-high 27 points. The loss snapped the Irish’s three-game winning streak.

Georgia Tech closes a five-game homestand on Saturday with an ACC contest versus Boston College. Tipoff is set for noon at McCamish Pavilion and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

Javian McCollum scored 21 points and dished out six assists in Tuesday’s win over Notre Dame. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

POST-GAME NOTES

• Tech held Notre Dame to 24 points in the first half (28% FG), matching the Jackets’ lowest yield this season.
• Tech has scored 178 points in its last 2 games and shot 55.3% from the floor, 43.9% (18-41) from three-point range, 73.9% (34-46) from the foul line.
• The Jackets have shot better than 50 percent in three of their last five games (52.5% vs. UMBC). The last two games have been season highs (54.1% vs. Alabama A&M, 56.5% vs. Notre Dame).
• Also in the last two games, Tech assisted on 44 of its 63 made field goals (69.8%).
• Tech is 3-1 on its current homestand after going 4-3 in its season-opening seven-game homestand.
• Eight players saw the court against Notre Dame and all of them scored.
• Tech posted an KenPom.com offensive efficiency rate of 133.8 against Notre Dame, the ninth-highest mark the Jackets have recorded since the website began tracking in the 1996-97 season.
• Tech’s leading scorers vs. Notre Dame came off the bench – Javian McCollum and Duncan Powell – and each scored 21. Powell established a career-best (previous best was 20, four times) and McCollum’s 21 were a season high (previous best 18, twice).
• McCollum has scored 39 points in his last 2 games after totaling 19 in his first 4 games back from his concussion injury. In those 2 games, McCollum has connected on 12-of-24 from the floor, 5-of-12 from three-point range and 10-of-10 from the foul line. He also has 8 assists and 4 steals.
• McCollum went over 1,100 career points against Notre Dame (now has 1,109).
• Powell has scored in double figures 3 times this season, twice vs. ACC teams (13 vs. Duke, 21 vs. Notre Dame). His other double-digit game came at Oklahoma (11 points, 12 rebounds).
• Powell has been to the free throw line 42 times this season (66.7%), exceeded only by Baye Ndongo’s 62 attempts).

Duncan Powell also poured in a career-high 21 points against Notre Dame. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

 

 

POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO