Georgia Tech can take some consolation in scoring fewer than 20 points in the first half of each of the past three games, but not much.
Said coach Brian Gregory, "You can't start much worse than we have."
The Yellow Jackets, who play Miami at 9 p.m. Tuesday night at Philips Arena, are trying to solve the conundrum of putting the ball through the hoop with some degree of frequency in the game's first 20 minutes. Against Maryland, Tech had shots but couldn't finish and fell behind 24-19 at halftime. Against Virginia, the Cavaliers' superior defense and the Jackets' lack of energy dropped Tech into a 35-17 crater at the half.
Saturday, Clemson's pressure on the Jackets' guards and Tech's sloppy offensive play caved in the Jackets in a 34-19 first half. All three games led to, or maybe ensured, losses.
Gregory praised his team's resilience, "but it would be nice not to have such a bad start and put yourself in a difficult position," he said.
The Jackets lead the ACC in the unfortunate category of sub-20-point halves with three. Fans considering attending Tuesday's game should be aware that the Hurricanes are tied with Florida State for second with two. (Boston College, Clemson, Virginia and Wake Forest all have one.)
"We feel like it's got to come together sooner or later," guard Glen Rice Jr. said. "Maybe (be) more focused, warming up harder before the game."
The Jackets have continued to defend. They rank fourth in the ACC and 30th in the country in defensive field-goal percentage (39.2 percent), and their performance at that end of the floor enabled them to challenge both Maryland and Clemson late in those games.
"They have a defensive mentality that they haven't always had," said Clemson guard Tanner Smith, of Alpharetta, following the Tigers' win Saturday. "They're going to fight you."
However, the three consecutive first halves have accentuated the Jackets' shortage of playmaking ability. Tech players repeatedly drove to the basket against Maryland, but still shot 7-for-29 in the first half. Against Virginia and Clemson, Jackets guards had difficulty creating opportunities against man-to-man pressure.
Against Clemson, primary ballhandlers Mfon Udofia and Rice played a combined 19 minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, leaving Pierre Jordan to fend for himself.
"We're trying to get our guys better at being able to make a play and, then at the end of the play, make a good decision," Gregory said. "Drives to the basket don't always have to result in shots. Are we kicking the ball out to open guys? That's one area in particular we need to get better at."
The challenges go beyond that. Tech has scored four combined fast-break points in the past three first halves (eight in the second half). Tech went to the line three times in the first half against Virginia Tech and 16 in the second. In the Clemson game, in part because of foul trouble, Rice scored two points before halftime and 17 after.
Tech is capable of scoring, particularly when it defends well. When Rice went into jump-shooting inferno mode at the end of the Clemson game, the Jackets scored more points –22 – in the final 3:34 than they did in the game's first 23 minutes. They're not so far removed from an 82-71 road win over N.C. State, their lone ACC win.
"I think there's a lot of things that go into that," Gregory said. "Believe me, we're trying to figure it out."
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