THE FLATS – Georgia Tech men’s basketball jumped out front early and never looked back, routing Northern Illinois 68-50 in an end-to-end victory on Thursday night at McCamish Pavilion.
The Yellow Jackets (3-0) used a 17-1 run over a four-and-a-half minute stretch in the first half to build out its lead to 26, all while holding the Huskies (1-3) to a paltry 20 percent field goal percentage, including an icy 2-for-13 from downtown.
Thanks to a 17-1 run to start the second half, NIU would climb back to within seven points before Tech regained control and finished out the game on top, holding the Huskies to miss their next 13 shots.
The Jackets were led by four double-digit scorers on the night. Ja’von Franklin led the way with a double-double totaling 14 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.
Deivon Smith also impressed with a stat line that featured 10 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three blocks. Miles Kelly led all scorers with 13 points on the night, while Dallan Coleman poured in 12 points to go along with six rebounds.
Key advantages for Tech came in points in the paint (42-24) and bench points (35-8).
Northern Illinois featured two double-digit scorers, led by Zarique Nutter, who finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds overall.
Georgia Tech will head to the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off where it will take on Utah (Nov. 21) and Marquette/Mississippi State (Nov. 23).
Deivon Smith (5 – above) stuffed the stat sheet on Thursday night, finishing with 11 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three blocks. (photo by Danny Karnik)
Post-Game Notes
- Tech is 3-0 for the first time since the 2015-16 season, and for the first time in Josh Pastner’s seven seasons on The Flats. The Jackets have not started a season 4-0 since 2008-09 (ended that season 12-19).
- Tech has utilized a nine-player rotation in each of its first three games. All nine scored points against Clayton State, while eight registered in the scoring column at Georgia State and all nine did so against Northern Illinois.
- Tech scored a season-low nine points at the foul line against NIU after having averaged 17 in its first two games. The Jackets have scored 21.3 percent of their points from the stripe, compared to 14.6 in 2021-22.
- Tech ranks among the ACC’s top five in all rebound categories, fifth in rebound margin, fourth in defensive rebounds per game and second in offensive rebounds per game.
- Tech has limited its first three foes to 11-of-60 shooting from three-point range (18.3 percent). The Jackets led the ACC and were fourth nationally prior to the NIU game.
- The last time Tech held an opponent under 30 percent from the floor was Dec. 21 of last season against Georgia State (28.2 pct.). The last time an opponent shot a lower percentage than NIU’s 26.9 was Elon (21.6 pct.) on Nov. 11, 2019.
- Tech’s 10 blocked shots against NIU were its most in a game since swatting 11 at Louisville on Feb. 1, 2020.
- Miles Kelly has made a three-point field goal in nine consecutive games dating back to last Feb. 21 at Syracuse. He went 0-1 at Pittsburgh the game before that. Over the eight-game stretch he is 18-for-38 (47.4 percent).
- Kelly reached double figures for the sixth time in his career and in his fifth straight game dating back to last season’s regular-season finale against Boston College. He has averaged 14.6 points over his last five games.
- Kelly has hit 26-of-58 (44.8 pct.) from three-point range over Tech’s last 16 games dating back to Jan. 23 vs. Clayton State. He was 5-for-30 over the Jackets’ first 17 games of last season.
- Deivon Smith reached double-figure points for the second time in three games and for the fifth time in a Georgia Tech uniform. Hr finished one rebound shy of his first career double-double, and two shy of his career best of 11 last season against Wisconsin.
- Smith matched his Georgia Tech high in assists with six, equaling the six he dished last Feb. 5 vs. Clemson.
- Ja’von Franklin scored his first double-double as a Yellow Jacket and the ninth of his career. He had eight last season at South Alabama.
- Franklin also reached double figures in points for the 23rd time in his career, first as a Yellow Jacket.
- Franklin’s five blocked shots exceeded his total of four from the first two games combined, and were the most by a Tech player since Moses Wright had seven against Louisville on Feb. 1, 2020.
- Sophomore Deebo Coleman reached double figures for the second straight game and for the ninth time in his career.
Miles Kelly (13 – above) led Georgia Tech with a team-high 13 points on Thursday night. (photo by Danny Karnik)
