Georgia Tech delivered one of its more complete performances of the season Saturday in a total beatdown of visiting Boston College and won 85-64 at McCamish Pavilion.
Four Yellow Jackets scored in double figures during the 21-point win, Tech’s largest ever in 33 meetings against its ACC rival. Tech has won three games in a row for the first time this season and next heads to Syracuse (6-7, 0-2 ACC) at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
“I think a lot of it is us just being connected,” Tech guard Lance Terry said. “A lot of us, we really do wanna win. I think us bringing that fire, bringing that determination and energy out on the court, it just allows us to play harder and play smarter and more free. I think a lot of that has turned the tables for us and it bleeds into our offense where everybody gets somebody open and everybody gets a shot. It’s been working well for us.”
On Saturday, the Jackets (8-7, 2-2) trailed for only less than three minutes of game clock and led by as many as 27 during the second half. Point guard Javian McCollum came of the bench to score 20 and was matched by Terry, who also had 20.
Baye Ndongo finished with 14, and Duncan Powell scored all 11 of his points in the first 20 minutes. Nait George had 10 points and 10 of Tech’s 19 assists.
Tech’s 58.5% shooting mark from the field was a season-high, and the Jackets inched above .500 for the first time since they were 4-3 at the end of November.
“I think the most important thing is when I look in these guys’ eyes now, they believe,” Tech coach Damon Stoudamire said. “That’s the difference. Forget what I think. It’s their team. Coaching is structure, organization, discipline. You gotta own your team, and that’s what I’ve seen over the course of the last couple games. Guys are talking in the huddles more, guys are talking to each other about things that, to me, matter. It’s the little things, it’s the attention to detail. That means that they’re hearing my message.”
Both teams were sharp on offense in the early going Saturday, and the contest saw four lead changes in the first 6-1/2 minutes. The last of those came on a McCollum 3 from the top of the key that started a 7-0 run for Tech, a run that ended with Jaeden Mustaf’s reverse layup from the right baseline, making the score 21-15 at the 11:26 mark.
Tech never trailed again.
“Energy is the biggest thing, really,” Terry said of Tech’s strong start. “I think a lot of our guys, whether they’re starting or coming off the bench, that energy bleeds into our defense, which then bleeds into our offense. As long as guys keep bringing energy then we’ll be a very, very good team.”
The Jackets put together a 9-2 run later in the half to build a 35-24 lead. That spurt was capped by Powell’s strong layup on the right baseline and a long Terry 3-point shot that forced a Boston College timeout with 5:59 left in the period.
Tech led by as many as 16 in the first half before settling for a 44-31 margin at the break. The Jackets missed only 12 shots, shooting 58.6%, and logged 12 assists. McCollum and Powell scored 11 each off the bench.
Terry was Tech’s offensive catalyst early in the second half. The senior guard scored seven consecutive points at one point to help the Jackets enjoy a 54-38 lead.
With a little less than eight minutes gone in the half, Ndongo’s layup put the Jackets up 63-43, a gap far too wide for the visitors to overcome in the final half of a half.
“In the second half, it never felt under stress, and that’s not easy,” Stoudamire added. “That’s not easy when wins are hard to come by and you’re trying to learn how to win as a group.”
Chad Venning led Boston College (9-6, 1-3 ACC) with 19 points, while Eljah Strong chipped in 16. The Eagles turned the ball over 13 times and were outscored 44-32 in the paint.
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