Georgia Tech pulled off the biggest win of coach Josh Pastner’s eight-game tenure as Yellow Jackets coach, defeating VCU 76-73 in overtime Wednesday night in Richmond, Va. Four days after an embarrassing 23-point defeat to Tennessee, and with final exams about to start, Tech led most of the way and answered every challenge.
Guard Tadric Jackson was a compelling force, scoring a career-high 24 points on 9-for-18 shooting from the field with no turnovers.
Tech (5-3) took a 75-73 lead in overtime with 1:21 remaining on a jumper by guard Josh Heath and then hung on for the win. The Jackets missed their next three shots, including an errant dunk attempt by Jackson, before forward Quinton Stephens made one of two free throws with 10 seconds left for a three-point lead. The Jackets then withstood two 3-point tries sandwiched around two missed free throws by center Ben Lammers before time expired.
“To get a win like this, in a rebuild situation where you’re starting from ground zero, is a heck of a win,” Pastner told Richmond media.
Lammers contributed 16 points with eight rebounds.
0.6 seconds to hit a 3/4 court shot? No problem for @GTMBB's Corey Heyward!
👀
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN)
It’s a remarkable achievement for the Jackets, who started two freshman guards (Josh Okogie and Justin Moore) and a third guard who played 22 minutes last season (Corey Heyward) and have been widely considered one of the weakest teams among the five power conferences. In the Rams, they were up against a team that has made six consecutive NCAA tournaments.
Further, VCU’s Siegel Center rates as one of the most raucous environments in the country with a record to prove it. The Rams had sold out 86 consecutive games prior to Wednesday, and were 74-12 in those games.
“We found a way to win,” Pastner said. “We gutted it out, and that was the only way for us to get a win, was to gut it out.”
The Jackets shot 29-for-61 from the field (47.5 percent), well above their season rate (43.4 percent) and vastly better than their horrendous showing in their 81-58 defeat at Tennessee Saturday (32.7 percent). They held VCU to 25-for-60 shooting (41.7 percent), well below its season average of 47.8 percent.
“I thought we did a good job changing defenses, and I thought our zone was good for us,” Pastner said.
Tech managed the upset despite making only 53 percent of its free throws (14-for-26), recording a season-low 11 asssists and committing a season-high 20 turnovers, including a combined 11 by point guards Moore and Josh Heath.
The Jackets had trouble with VCU forward Justin Tillman (10-for-16 for 26 points), but held the rest of the Rams to 15-for-44 from the field (34.1 percent). Tech held VCU to one basket in overtime in six attempts and forced three turnovers.
About the Author
