February 28, 2023

Kelly, Franklin Lead Tech's 96-76 Rout at Syracuse

Box Score (PDF) Game Book/Play-by-Play (PDF) Photo Gallery Multimedia Postgame Notes

Syracuse, N.Y. – Miles Kelly scored a career-high 30 points, Ja’von Franklin put together the fifth triple-double in Georgia Tech history, and the Yellow Jackets knocked down a program-record 18 three-point field goals Tuesday evening in a 96-76 rout of Syracuse at the JMA Wireless Dome.

In its best offensive game of the season, Georgia Tech (13-17, 5-14 ACC) shot 52.2 percent from the floor and, assisted on 27 of its 35 made field goals, and connected on 18 three-point field goals in 40 attempts, both of which were school records. The onslaught sent the Orange (16-14, 9-10 ACC) to their fourth straight loss.

Franklin scored 14 points grabbed 15 rebounds and had 10 assists, the last coming on Kelly’s final field goal, a jumper in the lane with 1:37 to go that gave the Jackets their largest lead at 28 points (96-68). It was the first triple-double for a Tech player since Iman Shumpert turned the trick in 2011, the second for a Jacket in an ACC game and fifth in program annals. The 6-7 senior went 7-for-9 from the floor, made three steals and blocked two shots.

Kelly went 10-for-19 from the floor, hitting 7-of-14 from three-point range and 3-of-4 from the foul line in becoming the first Jacket to score 30 since Jordan Usher against Boston College late last season.

Lance Terry tied his season high with 24 points, knocking down 7-of-10 from three-point range and 8-of-13 overall, and Kyle Sturdivant added a career-high 20 points, hitting 7-of-9 from the floor. Deebo Coleman, the only starter not to score in double digits, assisted on eight of Tech’s field goals, a career high.

Kelly scored 17 of his 30 in the first half, helping stake the Jackets to a 53-44 lead at intermission, their highest point total in one half of an ACC game this season. Tech took control of the game coming out of the locker room, outscoring the Orange 16-2 to open the half and take a 69-46 lead less than four minutes in. Syracuse, which shot just 39 percent after intermission, never got closer than 17 points after that.

Judah Mintz scored 23 points to lead four Orange players in double figures. Jesse Edwards scored 18 points, while Benny Williams and Joseph Girard III added 11 each.

Tech returns to action Saturday for its final regular season game against Boston College at 2:30 p.m. in Chestnut Hill, Mass. The game will be nationally televised on ESPNU.

Lance Terry matched his season high with 24 points, hitting seven three-point field goals. (photo by Rich Barnes)

Post-Game Notes

TEAM TRENDS

Tech’s 20-point margin of victory was its largest in an ACC game since the Yellow Jackets defeated Miami, 87-60, in Coral Gables on Feb 20, 2021. The Jackets led the game by as many as 28 before Tech emptied the bench and the Orange scored the final eight points of the contest.
Tech’s 96 points were its most in an ACC game since the Jackets defeated North Carolina, 96-83, in Chapel Hill on Jan. 4, 2020.
Beginning with its Feb. 8 win over Notre Dame, and with only once exception, Tech has increased its point production with each game – 70 vs. Notre Dame, 70 at Wake Forest, 77 vs. Virginia Tech, 79 vs. Florida Tech, 68 at Pittsburgh, 83 vs. Louisville, 96 at Syracuse.
Tech’s 53 first-half points against Syracuse were a high for any half in ACC play this season and more than it scored in entire games against Clemson (51) and Duke (43) on back-to-back nights at the end of January.
Tech’s 18 three-point field goals set a new program record, eclipsing the 17 made by the Yellow Jackets at Clemson on Jan. 24, 2001. Three of the four tip three-point games in Tech history have come in ACC road games.
Tech’s 18 three-point field goals were the second-most ever in an ACC game behind Boston College’s 19 against Syracuse on March 3, 2020. Pittsburgh also made 18 three-point field goals in an ACC game earlier this season against Wake Forest.
Tech’s 40 three-point field goal attempts also were a program record of 37 at North Carolina on Feb. 10, 1996.
Tech shot better than 50 percent from the floor for the first time in an ACC game this season, and for the first time since March 5 of last season against Boston College. The Jackets have connected on 46.1 percent of their field goal tries over their last seven ACC games.
Tech has achieved ACC season highs in field goal percentage in each of its last three games (47.3 vs. Pittsburgh, 48.2 vs. Louisville, 52.2 vs. Syracuse). The Jackets have shot better than Tuesday’s 52.2 percent only twice (North Alabama, Alabama State) all season.
Tech has scored 70 points or more in six of its last seven games (Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Florida Tech, Louisville, Syracuse). The Yellow Jackets are 11-2 this season when scoring 70 or more points (5-2 in the ACC), 2-15 when failing to reach 70.

PLAYER UPDATES

Ja’von Franklin put together the fifth triple-double in Tech history, Tech’s second in an ACC game, and 37^th in ACC history, scoring 14 points with 15 rebounds and 10 assists against Syracuse. His 10^th assist came on the Yellow Jackets’ last basket of the game, a Miles Kelly jumper with 1:37 on the clock. Tech’s last triple-double was accomplished by Iman Shumpert, who had 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists on Jan. 25, 2011 against Virginia Tech.
Franklin has averaged a double-double over the Yellow Jackets’ last eight games (14.9 points and 11.5 rebounds). He has hit 63.3 percent of his shots from the floor (50-of-79) in that span, and also has totaled team-highs of 33 assists, 17 blocked shots and 14 steals.
Miles Kelly and Lance Terry, who each made seven three-point field goals against Syracuse, became the first Tech teammates to each make seven or more threes in the same game.
Lance Terry has played the full 40 minutes in nearly all of Tech’s five ACC wins. At Syracuse, he came out for the final 56 seconds when Tech emptied its bench. In those five games, Terry has averaged 19.6 points while connecting on 51.5 percent of his field goals (34-of-66), 54.1 percent of his three-point attempts (20-of-37).
Miles Kelly has reached double figures in five straight games, averaging 20.0 points and hitting 34-of-69 from the floor (49.3 pct.) and 23-of-50 from three-point range (46 pct.). This comes after a stretch in which he scored in double digits just three times in nine games and averaged 9.8 points.
Kyle Sturdivant has averaged 12.8 points over his last nine games, having reached double figures in six of them, including his career nigh of 20 points at Syracuse. He has made 17-of-41 from three-point range (41.5 pct.) over that stretch.