5 things to know from Georgia Tech vs. Duke

Josh Okogie of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets drives between Jayson Tatum (0), Marques Bolden (20) and Amile Jefferson (21) of the Duke Blue Devils during the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 4, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 110-57. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Josh Okogie of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets drives between Jayson Tatum (0), Marques Bolden (20) and Amile Jefferson (21) of the Duke Blue Devils during the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 4, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 110-57. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Four days after a soaring high, Georgia Tech crashed hard. As in, embedded itself deep into the earth.

Playing against a loaded Duke lineup that was running at high RPM, the Yellow Jackets suffered one of their worst losses in team history, losing 110-57 on Wednesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium to the No. 8 Blue Devils.

It followed Tech’s stunning 75-63 win on Saturday over then-No. 9 North Carolina at McCamish Pavilion. The two games were diametric opposites — Tech (9-5 overall, 1-1 ACC) played at near-peak offensive efficiency against the Tar Heels and benefited from a disastrous offensive game from North Carolina. On Wednesday, the Jackets could not match Duke’s energy and were on the run all night trying to keep up with Duke (13-2, 1-1), both in transition and in the half-court.

The Blue Devils played with no shortage of fire and motivation — All-American guard Grayson Allen returned to the lineup after a suspension of one game for tripping a third opponent in less than a year, coach Mike Krzyzewski was coaching his last game before a leave of absence for lower-back surgery and they were coming off a loss to Virginia Tech. Tech bore the full weight of a lineup that could have four first-round NBA picks this summer.

“I don’t know who could have beaten them tonight,” coach Josh Pastner said. “They were really, really good.”

Here are five observations from the game:

When the game was lost

Tech led 4-0 but surrendered a 9-0 run capped by a wide-open transition 3-pointer by Duke guard Luke Kennard, a sharpshooter whom the Jackets knew to defend closely but didn’t or couldn’t. Sensing a gathering storm, Pastner called timeout less than four minutes into the game, but Duke was on its way. Kennard made another open 3 from the same spot a little more than a minute later and a third 72 seconds after that. The Blue Devils led 29-11 at the 12:26 mark, having already made more 3-pointers (six) than North Carolina made all game (five).

“You could see, they made a couple shots and it just gave them life,” Pastner said.

Poor defense of 3-point line

Duke dropped 16 3-pointers on the Jackets on 31 attempts, the most makes that Tech has ever allowed in a game. The Blue Devils made 11 of them by halftime, by which point they led 61-30. The most 3-pointers Tech had given up in a game this season was 11, which was also the Blue Devils’ game high before Wednesday.

“Not much to say other than we got our butts kicked (Wednesday),” Pastner said. “The way Duke was shooting, it was like they were standing on a pier shooting into the ocean.”

Pastner said that his players did not use proper technique in defending the 3-pointer, failing to close out on shooters and playing with their hands below the ball.

“They were on fire, and we could have played a lot better, way better,” guard Josh Heath said. “You can’t let good players and good teams get in a rhythm like that.”

Tentative play

At times, the Jackets looked overmatched for the moment, perhaps not a surprise given the venue, the opponent and the team’s lack of experience. While scoring a combined 22 points, freshman guards Josh Okogie and Justin Moore had a combined seven turnovers. Duke’s defensive pressure turned into 13 turnovers, which the Blue Devils converted into 26 points. The Jackets had trouble staying in front of Allen, who finished with 15 points and seven assists.

In practices leading to the game, Tech practiced with loud music to simulate the noise that players would have to play through, but there’s nothing like the real thing.

“I don’t question their effort,” Pastner said. “I just think they were a little tentative.”

Historical loss

Tech has given up more points only eight times in team history. It was the first time the Jackets had given up 100 points since February 2011 (Virginia Tech) in coach Paul Hewitt’s final season. The 53-point margin of defeat was Tech’s largest in an ACC game, surpassing a 44-point loss to Duke in January. 2001.

The 61 points that Duke scored in the first half tied for the most allowed in a half in an ACC game.

Duke has now won 10 in a row over the Jackets and has taken 34 of the past 37.

What’s next

It doesn’t get much easier. Tech plays No. 9 Louisville on Saturday at McCamish Pavilion. It’s the first time that Tech has played three AP top-10 teams in a row.

“Like Coach (Pastner) said in the locker room, it’s still just one loss,” Heath said. “It was bad, but it still only counts as one loss.”