Yellow Jackets Win in Unimpressive Fashion

Georgia Tech led the entire game, but it did not feel like they had control of the second half.  They led by 13 at half and many fans assumed the Jackets would coast to the easy victory but the Eagles had different plans.  With 10 minutes left in the game, BC cut the lead down to just two.  They were unable to keep up the pressure and Georgia Tech was able to separate and though the Jackets never put the game out of reach, BC never got within one basket again.  It really was a tale of two halves for Georgia Tech's offense.  They shot a ridiculous 16-22 (72.7%) in the first half but only 6-18 (33%) in the second half.  A huge part of this win was the free throw shooting.  The Jackets shot 27-33 (81.8%) from the line to seal the win.  This is just the latest time strong free throw shooting has made the difference in a close game.

Marcus Georges-Hunt once again had a fantastic game.  He went 7-7 from the field, but scored 23 points due to his 8-10 from the line.  Adam Smith shot only 1-7 from inside the arc, but went 4-8 from outside the arc as he continued to get out of his funk.  Nick Jacobs chipped in 12 points on 5-7 shooting while Quinton Stephens added 9 points on 2-5 from the field.  James White had a very strong game scoring 8 on 3-4 shooting to go along with 6 rebounds.  Defensively the Jackets did not play very well against one of the worst offenses in the country.  They let the Eagles shoot nearly 50% from inside and outside the arc.  They also let the Eagles gather 10 offensive rebounds.

The Eagles were led on offense by Eli Carter who scored 25 points on 10-18 shooting including a huge three pointer with under a minute left, but Carter was careless with the ball and ended up with 10 turnovers.  If he was more careful with the ball BC very well may have won this game.  Georgia Tech also had trouble stopping the big man Dennis Clifford who ended with 17 points on 7-14 shooting as well as the sharpshooter Sammy Barnes-Thompkins who went 5-8 from deep for 15 points.  Matt Milon added 8 points on 3-4 shooting off the bench including a huge three pointer with 12 seconds left in the game.

This game was far from what the Yellow Jackets were hoping for, but they were able to get the road win.  That means the Jackets have won 4 ACC games in a row for the first time since 2007.  This team has played with a ton of heart and has not given up on the season.  The Jackets now have a good chance at the NIT and an outside chance at the NCAA tournament.  Next the Jackets head to Louisville to face a Cardinals team on their senior night.  With the postseason ban for Louisville, this should be quite the emotional game.