Tech Renews Hardwood Rivalry With Georgia

GEORGIA TECH VS. GEORGIA

• Tuesday, December 6, 2022 | 7 p.m. ET | Atlanta, Ga. | McCamish Pavilion
• Live Stream:   ESPN2
• Play-by-Play:  Wes Durham  |  Analyst: Randolph Childress
• Radio:  Georgia Tech Sports Network by Legends Sports (In Atlanta: 680 AM/93.7 FM | SiriusXM ch. 371, SXM app 371 | Listen Online | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets App | TuneIn
• Play-by-Play: Andy Demetra  |  Analyst: Randy Waters
• Promotions:  Robotics night, Rally towel giveaway, halftime performance by Christian and Scooby

THE FLATS – Looking to remain undefeated at home and win a second straight game, Georgia Tech is back at McCamish Pavilion Tuesday evening to face in-state rival Georgia for a 7 p.m. tip.

Tech (5-3) has dropped all three of its games against conference foes, falling to Utah (68-64) and Marquette (84-60) in the Fort Myers Tip-Off Thanksgiving week and to Iowa (81-65) last Tuesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Yellow Jackets have defeated Clayton State, Northern Illinois, North Alabama and Northeastern at home, and Georgia State on the road. The game against the Bulldogs is the last for Tech before it opens Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday at North Carolina.

Georgia (7-2), a member of the Southeastern Conference, has won its last three games against East Tennessee State, Hampton and Florida A&M, all at home. The Bulldogs are 1-2 away from home this season, having lost at Wake Forest (81-71) in the second game of the season, and splitting games against Saint Joseph’s (won 66-53) and UAB (lost (87-73) in the Sunshine Slam tournament in Daytona Beach.

Tuesday’s game will be televised nationally on ESPN2, with a live stream available on the ESPN app. Radio coverage is on the Georgia Tech Sports Network by Legends Sports and flagship station 680 the Fan (680 AM/93.7 FM), and also on satellite radio (SiriusXM channel 371, SXM app 371.

SERIES VS. GEORGIA

• Georgia Tech leads the overall series 106-91 and has played the Bulldogs more than any other opponent in its basketball history.
• The series has been played alternately on the respective schools’ campuses since the 1995-96 season. Georgia holds an 15-11 lead over that period. The teams’ scheduled meeting in the 2020-21 season was cancelled due to COVID-19, wiping out a Tech home game in the series.
• In the 26 on-campus meetings since 1995, Georgia has won four times in Atlanta, twice at McCamish Pavilion, and Tech has won three times in Athens.
• Tech snapped a five-game skid in the series with an 88-78 win n Nov 19, 2021 at Stegeman Coliseum, the Jackets’ first win in Athens since 2013.
• Prior to that, Georgia Tech had won four consecutive games over Georgia for the first time since winning 10 in a row over the Bulldogs, the longest for either team in the series, from December of 1958 to February of 1961.
• Tech snapped a 13-game losing streak in games played at Stegeman Coliseum with a 68-56 win over Georgia on Dec. 7, 2011. It was Tech’s first win in Athens since Nov. 26, 1976, a stretch that spanned three Tech coaches – Dwane Morrison (0-for-his-last-4), Bobby Cremins (0-4) and Paul Hewitt (0-5).
• With Tech’s 80-71 win in the Nov. 15, 2013 contest in Athens, the Yellow Jackets won back-to-back in Athens for the first time since winning three in a row from 1959-61.
• Before the December, 1995 meeting in Athens that marked the return to on-campus play, the teams played 14 straight years at the Omni in downtown Atlanta, which was located on the site of the current Philips Arena. Tech went 8-6 against the Bulldogs in the facility, including eight of the last 10 before the neutral series ended. The teams have played on neutral sites other than the SEC or Southern Intercollegiate Championships only one other time, that coming at the 1960 Gator Bowl Tournament in Jacksonville, Fla.
• Tech is 1-4 against Georgia under head coach Josh Pastner.
• Tech and Georgia were both charter members of the Southeastern Conference, and the Yellow Jackets went 55-29 against the Bulldogs in the SEC before leaving the conference after the 1963-64 season.
• Tech is 36-34 against Georgia since leaving the SEC.

Jalon Moore has averaged 13 points and 8.3 rebounds over his last three games. (photo by Danny Karnik)

BUZZ BYTES

• Georgia Tech and Georgia are playing at McCamish Pavilion for the first time since the 2018-19 season. The 2020-21 game was a casualty of COVID-19 after the NCAA pushed back the start of the season until after the originally scheduled date of the game, and the teams were unable to find a date that worked for both.
• Tech has limited its foes to 25.6-percent from three-point range this season, which leads the ACC and ranks 12th nationally (KenPom). Only Utah (31.3 percent), Marquette (39.1 percent) and Iowa (34.6 percent) have connected on 30 percent or better.
• Tech has won the turnover battle in six of eight games and has reached its target of 11 or fewer five times this season. The Yellow Jackets have a season turnover margin of plus-2.6, which ranks fourth in the ACC. It’s percentage of possessions that end in turnovers (15.9 pct.) ranks 37th nationally.
• Tech ranks third in the ACC in both blocked shots and steals per game.
• Tech started the lineup of Deebo Coleman, Deivon Smith, Miles Kelly and Jalon Moore around Ja’von Franklin for the third straight game. Only Coleman and Smith have started all eight games this season.
• Tech has utilized a nine-player rotation in each of its first eight games. At least seven players have scored in every game, while as many as nine have scored in three games (Clayton State, Northern Illinois, Marquette).
• Tech has held four opponents under 40 percent from the floor this season and ranks No. 2 in the ACC in field goal percentage defense (39.3 pct.).
• Tech has held five of eight opponents to 90.1 points or less per 100 possessions in KenPom.com’s metric, and the Jackets are at 97 for the season, No. 82 in the nation.
• Tech is No. 2 in the ACC in offensive rebounds per game (13.4), and has turned those into 14.1 second-chance points per game. The Jackets had a season-high 22 second-chance points against Northeastern.
• Miles Kelly has reached double figures in six of eight games and in each of his last three, during which he has averaged 16.3 points and hit 18-of-31 shots from the floor.
• Kelly has hit 8-of-13 from three-point range in Tech’s last two games (4-of-8 at Iowa, 4-of-5 vs. Northeastern).
• Jalon Moore has scored in double figures in three straight games, averaging 13.0 per game and 8.3 rebounds over that stretch, while hitting 13-of-26 from the floor and 13-of-14 from the line. He also has averaged 8.3 rebounds.
• Moore has missed by one rebound a double-double twice this season. He scored a career-best 16 points against Northeastern and had 11 and 9 vs. Clayton State.
• Moore’s 10-for-10 performance at the free throw line against Northeastern was the 23rd occurrence in which a Tech player has made 10 or more free throws without a miss. The last time was Jan. 23, 2016, when Marcus Georges-Hunt went 12-for-12. Moore has made his last 13 in a row dating back to his final attempt against North Alabama.
• Lance Terry has three double-figure games this season after tallying 11 points against Northeastern.
• Rodney Howard reached double figures (12 points, 7 rebounds in just 12 minutes vs. Northeastern) for the first time since Tech’s season opener against Clayton State (15 and 13).
• Deivon Smith was limited to 19:25 against Northeastern due to a cut lip he suffered late in the first half, but still scored six points with four rebounds and three assists with no turnovers.
• Smith has 23 assists in his last six games (3.8 per game) and leads the Yellow Jackets with 3.3 per game.
• Deebo Coleman did not make (or attempt) a three-point field goal for the first time this season against Northeastern.
• Ja’von Franklin has blocked at least one shot in every game this season and has averaged 2.3 for the season, No. 2 in the ACC and No. 21 nationally. He has 18 total blocks, two shy of Rodney Howard’s team-leading total of 20 from 2021-22.

Rodney Howard bounced back from a slump with 12 points and seven rebounds against Northeastern. (photo by Danny Karnik)

Competitive Drive Initiative

In a unified endeavor, Georgia Tech, the Georgia Tech Foundation, Georgia Tech athletics and the Alexander-Tharpe Fund have come together to accelerate funding for student-athlete scholarships with the launch of the Competitive Drive Initiative. The initiative kicks off with the Accelerate GT Match Program, where any new gift to the A-T Fund’s Athletic Scholarship Fund made through Dec. 31 will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Georgia Tech Foundation, up to $2.5 million. Should Accelerate GT reach its $2.5 million fundraising goal, the matching gift would result in a $5 million impact for Georgia Tech athletics. To learn more and to contribute online, visit atfund.org/accelerate.

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL

Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team has completed six seasons under head coach Josh Pastner, winning the Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 2021 and making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 11 years. Tech has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, won four ACC Championships (1985, 1990, 1993, 2021), played in the NCAA Tournament 17 times and played in two Final Fours (1990, 2004). Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball on social media by liking their Facebook Page, or following on Twitter (@GTMBB) and Instagram. For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com.