Post-Game Notes (Game 6)

Dec. 1, 2017

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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

• Georgia Tech starting lineup: Alvarado, Haywood II, Jackson, Lammers, Gueye
• First subs for Georgia Tech: Alston, Cole, Moore for Haywood II, Jackson, Lammers at 16:18 – 1^st half
• On the floor for Georgia Tech at the end: Alston, Alvarado, Haywood II, Jackson, Lammers
• Opening tap won by Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech has won the opening tap twice in six games this season.
• Series record vs. Grambling State: Georgia Tech is 1-1 overall, 0-1 at home, 0-1 under Josh Pastner, 0-1 vs. Donte Jackson
• Current series streak: Grambling State won the last meeting
• Georgia Tech is 4-1 at McCamish Pavilion this season, 64-31 in its sixth season in the building, 21-5 under Josh Pastner
• Georgia Tech’s next game: December 3, 6 p.m., vs. Tennessee, McCamish Pavilion

TEAM NOTES

• Georgia Tech lost its first game at McCamish Pavilion since Feb. 21 of last season (NC State), snapping a seven-game homecourt winning streak.
• Head coach Josh Pastner used his third different starting lineup of the season against Grambling State, inserting Tadric Jackson in place of Brandon Alston, who had started the first five games. He was joined by center Ben Lammers, forward Abdoulaye Gueye and guards Jose Alvarado and Curtis Haywood II. Alvarado, Gueye and Lammers have started every game this season. Lammers has started Tech’s last 43 consecutive games. (Alston started the second half of the Grambling State game in place of Gueye.)
• Georgia Tech trailed at the half (25-23) for the first time since the season opener against UCLA, and fell to 0-2 this season and 4-15 under Josh Pastner when trailing at the half.
• Two freshmen have started each game for the Yellow Jackets, with Alvarado starting all six. Curtis Haywood II has started five games, Moses Wright one.
• Tech canned a season-high 10 three-point field goals in 27 attempts, surpassing the seven it made against North Texas. The Yellow Jackets have made 26 three-pointers in 71 attempts (36.6 percent) their last four games.
• Tech has scored fewer than 70 points in five games this season, winning three of those, but fell to 7-18 under Josh Pastner when scoring less than 70 with the loss to Grambling State.
• Tech shot 50 percent in the second half as it erased a 16-point deficit to lead by three, the third time the Yellow Jackets have shot 50 percent or better in a second half this season (60 percent vs. Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 55.6 percent vs. North Texas).
• Tech had held four consecutive opponents under 40 percent from the floor since UCLA shot 40.7 percent, but Grambling State converted 44.4 percent of its field goal tries, 51.9 percent in the second half. Tech has yielded 39.2 percent from the floor this season.
• Tech’s defense limited Northwestern to 36.2 percent from the floor (45.2 percent coming in), 5-for-23 from three-point range (36.8 percent coming in) and 4-of-5 from the free throw line (17 points per game coming in). Tech improved to 19-5 under Josh Pastner when limiting an opponent under 40 percent.
• Tech has held each of its opponents this season under their season scoring averages, and Grambling State was no exception, scoring 64 points after averaging 71.7 coming in. Northwestern entered Tuesday night’s game averaging 75.7 points per game, and the Yellow Jackets held the Wildcats to 51. The Jackets held North Texas, which averaged 85.6 points in its first five games, to just 49 points, the low yield for Tech in 41 games under head coach Josh Pastner, and gave up 63 points to UCLA (90.8 ppg since), 62 points to Bethune-Cookman (86.7 ppg coming in), and 68 points to Texas-Rio Grande Valley (82.0 ppg coming in).
• Tech entered the game hitting 74.4 percent of its free throws and averaging 17.4 points from the stripe, both significant improvements over last season (68.2 percent, 13.6 ppg), but was able to connect on just 11-of-22 from the line against Grambling State..
• Tech entered the game No. 9 nationally in scoring defense at 58.6 points per game, and No. 42 in field goal percentage defense (38.6 percent). The Jackets were No. 20 in defensive efficiency according to KenPom.com.
• Tech entered the game 20th nationally according to KenPom.com in lowest two-point field goal percentage yield (40 percent), and No. 7 in block percentage (19.3).
• Two Georgia Tech players rank among the ACC’s top seven in average minutes played – Ben Lammers (2nd at 35.2) and Jose Alvarado (T5th at 33.2). Curtis Haywood II has averaged 34.5 in Tech’s last four games.
• Pastner meter 1 (assists to made field goals): Tech assisted on 17 of 21 made field goals (80.9 percent), exceeding its nightly goal of 60 percent. The Jackets have assisted on 72.2 percent of their made field goals in five games (ranked No. 7 in the nation according to KenPom.com coming in), after finishing last season at 62.7 percent (63.2 percent rate in ACC games).
• Pastner meter 2 (free throws made to opponents’ attempts): Tech made 11-of-22 free throws to Grambling State’s 8-of-12 (goal of making more than opponent tries not accomplished). For the season, Tech has converted 98 free throws, while opponents have attempted 92. Tech is 24-5 under Josh Pastner when attempting more free throws than the opponent.
• Pastner meter 3 (guard rebounding): Tech’s guards combined for 10 of Tech’s 22 defensive rebounds, five from Tadric Jackson.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Tadric Jackson made his first start of the 2017-18 season, and his first start since last March 7 against Pittsburgh in the opening round of the ACC Tournament. Jackson, who finished second in the balloting for ACC Sixth Man of the Year last season, has started 13 games in his career.
• Jackson has scored in double digits in each game since returning to the court, getting 14 against North Texas, 10 against Northwestern and 19 against Grambling State. The senior guard has reached double figures 12 times in his last 14 games and for the 25 times since the beginning of last season.
• Jose Alvarado scored a career-high 22 points (20 in the second half) against Grambling State and has been in double figures in five of six games. He also made a career-high four three-point field goals in 10 attempts and is 9-for-29 from distance for the season.
• Alvarado has 26 assists to just 10 turnovers over six games and has 12 steals to lead the team. He also has hit 51.8 percent of his shots from the floor and 80.8 percent (21-of-26) from the free throw line.
• Curtis Haywood II drained three three-point field goals as Tech rallied in the second half against Grambling State, giving him 10 threes in 15 attempts over his last three games.
• Haywood II has played 37, 33, 32 and 36 minutes in Tech’s last three games, averaging just over 11.5 points while hitting 14-of-26 shots from the floor, 11-of-18 from three-point range, and 7-of-9 from the free throw line. He also has averaged 5.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals.
• Ben Lammers failed to score in double figures for the first time this season, getting four points with nine rebounds in 38 minutes against Grambling State. The 6-10 senior had an uncharacteristically poor shooting night (1-7 FG, 2-5 FT) after coming in hitting 62.7 percent of his shots from the floor and 89.5 percent from the foul line this season.
• Lammers blocked seven shots against Grambling State and has 23 through six games, ranking No. 4 in the nation and No. 1 in the ACC. Lammers has 199 blocks in his career, tied for fourth place in Tech history with Malcolm Mackey (199 from 1990-93).
• Backup point guard Justin Moore had seven assists and no turnovers in 18 minutes against Grambling State. It was his second zero-turnover game this season and 14^th of his career.
• Jackson surpassed 800 points for his career against Grambling State (now at 812). Lammers needs 35 to reach 800.