Georgia Tech coach Brian Gregory said that the games following the team’s monumental upset of Miami on Wednesday would indicate if it was an actual breakthrough. Gregory may have gotten his answer Saturday.
The Jackets gave up a 10-point second-half lead in a 74-72 loss at Boston College at Conte Forum. The Yellow Jackets relinquished the chance to secure eighth place, build on the win over Miami and win back-to-back ACC games for the first time in Gregory’s tenure. Tech is 0-9 after an ACC victory in Gregory's two seasons.
The loss damages Tech’s hopes to make the NIT in dropping the Jackets to 16-14 overall and 6-12 in the ACC. Boston College is 15-16 and 7-11. Tech will earn the conference tournament No. 9 seed and play Boston College again in the 8-9 game at noon on Thursday if Clemson loses against Miami Saturday afternoon. The only way that Clemson can pass Tech for the No. 9 seed is if Clemson upsets the Hurricanes and Wake Forest defeats Virginia Tech at home on Sunday.
Tech led by six with 5:12 to play and five with 4:19 to go, but finally allowed the Eagles to take the lead for the first time since midway through the first half on a layup by Joe Rahon with 1:16 to play. It was part of a 12-0 Boston College run that boosted the Eagles to a 71-64 lead with 28 seconds left. Tech guard Chris Bolden hit a 3-pointer with four seconds to play to make the score 73-72 in the Eagles’ favor, but after Patrick Heckmann missed his second free throw with two seconds to go, Tech was unable to get off a shot as time expired.
In the second half, Tech shot 53.8 percent from the field, but allowed Boston College to shoot 70.0 percent. The Eagles also shot 25 free throws, making 14, to Tech’s 5-for-7 day from the line. In the past three games, Tech has shot 25 free throws to its opponents’ 76.
Tech forward Marcus Georges-Hunt led the team with 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting. The Jackets were outrebounded 29-26.
The Jackets were without both Solomon and Stacey Poole, who missed the game to attend a grandparent’s funeral.
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