Jan. 7, 2016
Recap | Final Stats | USATSI Gallery
– MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
• Georgia Tech starting lineup: Heath, Georges-Hunt, Smith, Mitchell, Jacobs
• First subs for Georgia Tech: Jorgenson, White at the 15:17 mark of the first half
• On the floor for Georgia Tech at the end: Jackson, Jacobs, Jorgenson, Mitchell, Smith
• Opening tap won by Georgia Tech. Tech has won the opening tap seven times in 15 games this season.
• Series record vs. Pittsburgh: Tech is 5-3 overall, 0-2 on the road, 0-2 at the Petersen Events Center, 0-3 under Brian Gregory, 0-3 vs. Jamie Dixon
• Current series streak: Pittsburgh has won the last three meetings
• Georgia Tech is 8-1 at McCamish Pavilion this season, 37-22 in its fourth season in the building, 37-22 under Brian Gregory
• Georgia Tech’s next game: January 9, 2016 vs. #4/4 Virginia, 2 p.m. ET, McCamish Pavilion, Atlanta, Ga.
TEAM NOTES
• Georgia Tech’s starting lineup — Josh Heath, Marcus Georges-Hunt and Adam Smith at the guards, Charles Mitchell and Nick Jacobs at forward — is the same one it has used in 13 of 15 games. The Yellow Jackets are 8-5 with that starting lineup.
• Tech dropped to 0-3 this season against top-25 teams — lost 69-52 to #8/9 Villanova on Nov. 27 and 86-78 at #7/8 North Carolina.
• Tech is opening its ACC schedule with three straight top-25 opponents — #7/8 North Carolina, #24/21 Pittsburgh and #4/4 Virginia — for the first time since the 2000-01 season — #13/14 North Carolina, #17/17 Maryland, #10/9 Virginia (#6/6 Wake Forest made it four in a row that year). Tech lost the first two games and won the next two.
• Tech out-rebounded Pitt 38-34, besting its 12th opponent on the board in 15 games (there has been one tie, at Georgia). Tech also outrebounded one of the teams that ranks ahead of it in the ACC. Pitt has out-rebounded its opponents by 10.9 per game and ranks second, while the Jackets have a plus-8.6 rebounding advantage for the season and ranks fourth.
• Tech took 14 offensive rebounds, above its average of 13.87 (third in the ACC) and scored 20 points off them, well above its season average of 15.5.
• Tech trailed at the half for only the third time in 15 games.
• Tech continued its recent success taking care of the ball, committing 10 turnovers in the game. It was the ninth time this season the Jackets have stayed at 10 or fewer and the fifth game in a row. Nationally, the Jackets have improved from 195th in the nation last year to 22nd this year (10.5 per game) and are fourth in the ACC in fewest turnovers committed.
• Tech assisted on 14 of its 33 field goals and remains fifth in the ACC at 15.0 per game. The Jackets entered the game ranked 94th nationally in that category after finishing the 2014-15 season 244th.
• Tech went 10-for-20 from three-point range (8-of-13 by Adam Smith) and improved its season success rate to 37.7 percent (sixth in the ACC). Tech has made 35 percent or better in nine straight games, hitting 41.9 percent collectively in those games. The Jackets have made 17-for-35 (48.6 pct.) in its two ACC games. Tech entered the Pittsburgh game 85th nationally in three-point percentage after ranking 343rd last season.
• Tech’s 10 threes were its second-highest total this season (11 vs. Green Bay). The Jackets’ average of 6.73 threes per game is seventh in the ACC.
• Tech exceeded 70 points or more for the eighth time in the last nine games and for the 11th time this season. Tech scored 70 or more only six times last season. But the Yellow Jackets lost for the second time this season when doing so (9-2 record) and are 38-14 under Brian Gregory when scoring 70 or more.
• Tech scored 84 points against Pittsburgh and lost, its highest point total in a loss under Brian Gregory. The Yellow Jackets dropped a 93-81 decision at North Carolina in 2011-12. It was the most points Tech had scored in a loss since falling 88-84 to Virginia (in overtime) on Dec. 28, 2008. The last time Tech scored that many points in regulation and lost was a 92-84 decision at Virginia Tech on Feb. 23, 2008.
• Tech’s scoring average of 78.1 points ranks seventh in the ACC and is its highest since the 2006-07 season. The Jackets have averaged 81.0 points in its two ACC games.
• Tech has averaged 69.0 offensive possessions this season compared to 63.1 last season. Its team offensive efficiency rating is 113.3 compared to 97.2 last season. The Jackets rank 40th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency according to KenPom.com. To compare, Tech’s first four ACC opponents rank No. 2 (North Carolina), No. 10 (Pittsburgh), No. 4 (Virginia) and No. 5 (Notre Dame).
• Tech also has made improvements in points off turnovers (13.3 compared to 13.0 last season), second-chance points (15.5 to 12.7), and fast break points (10.0 to 8.3) while maintaining its rate of points in the paint (32.3 to 32.2).
• Tech used 10 players in the game, nine of them played 10 or more minutes and and seven of them scored.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• Marcus Georges-Hunt improved his career scoring total to 1,355 points and holds 22nd place on Georgia Tech’s all-time list. He needs seven to catch Bobby Kimmel (1,362 points from 1954-57), who holds 21st place.
• Georges-Hunt reached double figures for the 12th time in 15 games this season and for 75th time in 109 career games at Georgia Tech.
• Georges-Hunt grabbed four rebounds and has 16 in his last three games — 510 for his career. He became the 19th Tech player to reach 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his career in Tech’s Dec. 29 game against Duquesne.
• Adam Smith’s 30 points were a personal best as an ACC player, eclipsing his previous bests of 28 vs. Radford on 11/29/13 and 26 last year against Pittsburgh (1/27/15). His all-time career high, however, is 32 points (with seven threes) against Wake Forest while he was a freshman at UNC Wilmington. • Smith also recorded the first 30-point game by a Tech player since Iman Shumpert scored 30 at North Carolina on Jan. 16, 2011.
• Smith reached double figures for the 12th time this season. He has scored in double figures 59 times in his career and has 1,242 career points.
• Smith knocked down eight threes in the game (in 13 attempts), eclipsing his previous career best of six set last season for Virginia Tech in a victory over Pittsburgh and matched just one game ago for the Yellow Jackets at North Carolina (in 10 attempts). Smith has gone 28-for-52 (53.8 percent) in over his last six games and is 14-for-23 in Tech’s two ACC games this season.
• Smith leads the ACC in three-pointers per game (3.47) and third in percentage this season (now 47.4 percent). He has jumped to 10th nationally in three-pointers per game and 11th in percentage.
• Smith has made at least one in every game this season and in his last 17 straight games dating back to last season. He has made at least three in six straight games. He has made at least one in 84 of 93 games in his career for a total of 216 after the Pitt game. His career total would rank seventh all-time Georgia Tech had he played his entire career here.
• In 15 games, Smith has made more three-pointers (52) than Tech’s leader in each of the first four seasons under Brian Gregory (Trae Golden made 46 in 2013-14). They are the most since Brian Oliver accumulated 63 (in 36 games) in the 2009-10 season.
• Charles Mitchell got his first double-double (20 points, 17 rebounds) since Dec. 21 against Southeastern Louisiana and his 11th of the season. He has 18 double-doubles in a Tech uniform and 23 for his career.
• It was Mitchell’s 44th career double-digit scoring game and his 31st double-digit rebound game. • Mitchell’s 17 rebounds were the second-most ever for a Tech player in an ACC game — four other players have taken 17 in an ACC game, and three have taken 18. Mitchell’s 17 were the most since Derrick Favors grabbed 18 against Maryland on Feb. 20, 2010.
• Mitchell had nine offensive rebounds, a season high which lifted him back into the ACC lead in that category (sixth nationally).
• Mitchell’s 11.6 rebound average leads the ACC by one full rebound and ranks seventh nationally.
• Josh Heath and Travis Jorgenson combined for three assists and two turnovers against Pittsburgh, continuing a trend this season in which they have 102 assists and 28 turnovers collectively, a ratio of 3.64-1. Tech has a 1.43-1 ratio as a team, fifth in the ACC. Heath himself ranks third in the ACC at 3.44-1.
