Three days after a game in which nothing went right, Georgia Tech followed with a redemptive performance in which just about everything flowed the Yellow Jackets’ way.
On the heels of a 28-point loss to Virginia on Sunday, the Jackets crafted perhaps their best offensive game of the season in a 78-68 win over Maryland on Wednesday night at McCamish Pavilion.
"That was the best 40 minutes we've played all year long in terms of consistent performance in every key area," coach Brian Gregory said. "I am very, very pleased."
Gregory, who has preached to his team the importance of giving up a good shot to create a great shot for a teammate, saw his exhortations realized against the Terrapins. The Jackets repeatedly set each other up, driving and kicking out to the perimeter or burning the Terrapins’ attempts to double team the post.
Tech racked up a season-high 22 assists on its 26 baskets, easily its highest assist/basket ratio of the season. Guard Mfon Udofia scored only a late basket, but led the Jackets with five assists against no turnovers.
Against Virginia, Tech’s big men repeatedly ran into trouble against the Cavaliers’ traps, but center Daniel Miller in particular was effective Wednesday in sending the ball out away from the post to trigger effective ball movement around the perimeter. It led to consecutive 3-pointers by guard Brandon Reed midway through the first half, part of a 10-0 run that lifted the Jackets to a 24-17 advantage with 7:59 to go in the half. The Jackets led the rest of the way.
"We got some good ball reversal in there," Miller said. "Guys got good shots. I guess we liked the way that looked and just kept playing as a team."
Tech finished the half shooting a sizzling 57.1 percent from the field, in no small part because of some of the most selfless offense of the season. It was particularly noteworthy because Maryland entered the game leading the ACC in defensive field-goal percentage at 37.5 percent. The Jackets finished the game at 51.0 percent, their second-best rate of the ACC season.
"They made a lot of shots they haven't been making," Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said.
Tech also out-rebounded the ACC’s leader in rebound margin 34-32, led by forward Robert Carter’s 10. Miller had nine to go with 16 points, including a 12-for-12 night from the free-throw line. Miller's perfect night tied him for the fourth best free-throw game in Tech history. Miller, who has slumped from the line this season at 64.7 percent, said he became aware of his streak after the first two.
After making four in a row, "that's when I got comfortable," he said. "It was just a good feeling to make all those. I've kind of struggled this season after shooting pretty well last season."
Carter led with 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting, showing a deft touch around the post with a series of jump hooks.
"Carter was tremendous," Turgeon asid. "We couldn't guard him."
Reed finished with 17, his high in ACC play this season, on 6-for-9 shooting, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range. He also had four assists and five rebounds in his 21 minutes in what Gregory called his best all-around performance since transferring to Tech. It was perhaps the best bench production for Tech in the ACC season. Besides Reed, forward Kammeon Holsey contributred eight points in 12 minutes and little-used forward Julian Royal scored four points in six minutes, including an explosive dunk on a drive down the lane.
When the bench performs as it did, Gregory said, "We're just a different team. We're a better team. You saw that this evening."
Even the free-throw shooting was strangely accurate. Tech, which finished the weekend ranked 321st in the country in free-throw shooting, at 63.0 percent, and was 8-for-19 in its past two games, made its first 11 attempts and finished 20-for-27.
The Jackets (15-12 overall, 5-10 ACC) now have one more ACC win than they compiled last season and are guaranteed no worse than a .500 record for the regular season. Maryland (19-9, 7-8) continued its struggles away from home. In ACC play, the Terrapins are 6-2 at home and 1-6 away on the road.
In ACC play, Tech is 1-6 against the five teams that began Wednesday at the top of the standings — Miami, Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and N.C. State — and 4-4 against the rest of the conference.
Tech will close its home portion of the schedule Sunday against N.C. State before finishing with road games at Miami and Boston College.
