Tech defeats UGA to end drought in Athens

By Tim Tucker

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATHENS — For the first time in 35 years, the Georgia Tech men’s basketball team left Stegeman Coliseum a winner Wednesday night.

Tech dominated the second half and defeated Georgia 68-56, giving the Yellow Jackets their first victory in Stegeman since Nov. 26, 1976.

“I was 10 years old when that happened,” Tech coach Brian Gregory said. “I told our guys that on Monday.”

Between victories here, the Jackets lost 13 consecutive games in Stegeman — five before the series moved to a neutral site (Atlanta’s Omni) in 1981 and eight since it returned to the campuses on an alternating basis in 1995.

“There’s a lot of great players who have worn [the Tech] uniform and never won down here,” said Gregory, in his first season as the Jackets’ coach. “Our guys will be able to say they broke the streak, and they will remember it forever.”

The outcome gave Gregory a win in his introduction to the intra-state rivalry and handed Georgia coach Mark Fox his first loss in three games against Tech.

Tech, which trailed 29-25 at halftime, outscored Georgia 43-27 in the second half. The Jackets took control of the game with a 12-0 run early in the second half.

That run, which included three Georgia turnovers and was capped by a Brandon Reed layup, gave Tech a 43-33 lead with 11:36 to play. Georgia got no closer than seven points thereafter, and the Jackets led by double digits for almost all of the final eight minutes.

“This was a very disappointing loss,” Fox said. “We’re not a very good basketball team right now, and that’s my responsibility.

“Our defense collapsed on us in the second half,” Fox added, “but you have to give Georgia Tech credit. Their defense in the second half was better than our offense.”

Said Gregory: “Our defense created some offense, which then made our offense a little easier. That’s what happened in the second half.”

In the second half, Tech shot 65 percent (13-for-20) while holding Georgia to 30.8 percent (8-for-26).

Five Tech players scored in double figures for the game, led by Jason Morris’ 15. Reed, Kammeon Holsey and Glen Rice Jr. scored 12 points apiece. Center Daniel Miller had 10 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots.

“Very special,” Miller said of the victory. “We made quite an accomplishment tonight that hasn’t been done in a very long time. Many great players have come in here and haven’t been able to do it.”

Guard Gerald Robinson led Georgia with 20 points, 16 of them in the first half.

“It’s our goal to come out with a sense of urgency in the second half. We didn’t do that tonight,” Robinson said. “We’re just not there yet, and we have to saddle up. We’re not doomed by any means.”

The outcome pushed Tech’s record this season above .500 at 5-4 and dropped Georgia’s below .500 at 4-5. The loss was the Bulldogs’ fourth in a row since a 4-1 start.

“We’re going to get better, but it’s going to take time,” Fox said. “You can’t teach guys how to score over night, but our defense? I’m angry about that.”

Although the game was Gregory first experience in the rivalry, the Tech coach quickly picked up on the game’s significance.

“We want to get to the point where every game we play is just as important as the other,” Gregory said. “But let’s face it, this game does have a little more meaning to it, a little more juice to it.”

Tech leads the all-time series against Georgia 102-86, including 4-25 in Stegeman Coliseum.

The Jackets’ next game is Saturday at Savannah State. Georgia takes a break for fall-semester final exams and won’t play again until Dec. 17 at USC.