Given an opportunity to steal a win from a capable but listing opponent, Georgia Tech couldn’t pull through.
Miami was without its starting point guard and lost a key backup early in the second half, but worked the Yellow Jackets with uncustomary effectiveness to give Tech a 70-61 defeat Wednesday night at Watsco Center.
Tech (15-11 overall, 6-7 ACC) missed an opportunity to secure an impressive road win and is now 2-8 away from McCamish Pavilion, including 1-6 in ACC play. Miami (17-8, 7-6 ACC) shot 55.3 percent from the field, becoming just the second ACC team to shoot better than 46.4 percent against Tech and nearly matching the 55.7 percent that Duke laid on the Jackets in their blowout win. The Jackets entered the game second in the conference in defensive field-goal percentage (39.2 percent).
Down 38-32 at the half, the Jackets made a push to take the lead at 46-45 on a 3-pointer by guard Josh Okogie at the 14:13 mark, but Miami took the lead back with a 7-0 run and eventually extended the lead to 13 points.
While shooting 49.0 percent from the field, the Jackets were undone by a number of missed opportunities at the rim and made it to the free-throw line a season-low three times, 18 below their season average.
By comparison, Miami took 27 free throws (making 22), a number slightly augmented by Tech fouling in the final minute.
The Hurricanes were without point guard Ja’Quan Newton, whose three-game suspension for a violation of team rules was announced 20 minutes before tipoff. Newton had started all 24 games, was second on the team in scoring at 15 points per game and led the team in assists at 3.6 per game. Miami center Ebuka Izundu, making just his fifth start of the season, left the game early in the second half with a leg injury.
Okogie led the Jackets with 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Center Ben Lammers, who missed practice Monday and Tuesday with a sprained ankle, added 15 points but was only able to grab three rebounds, his season low.
About the Author
