The Yellow Jackets’ previous trip to Athens came nine games into Brian Gregory’s tenure, when they were just getting a feel for their new coach. They got him his first statement win by snapping a 13-game losing streak at Stegeman Coliseum.
Two years later, they arrived in a different “stratosphere,” Gregory said, in terms of where the program is, and Georgia Tech played that way Friday night.
The 80-71 win over Georgia was almost workmanlike, in what Tech (3-0) hopes will be more of a steppingstone. Gregory, with his contract newly extended, and the Jackets are trying to ready themselves for a run in the expanded ACC.
“It’s a great win, but you need to continue to get better,” Gregory said. “We have to be a much better team next Wednesday when we play Dayton than we were tonight.”
One of the biggest differences this trip for Tech was their veteran leadership, and that advantage showed up against a younger Georgia team. The Jackets got double-doubles from senior post players Daniel Miller (14 points, 13 rebounds) and Kammeon Holsey (10 pounds, a career-high 12 rebounds), as well as 18 points from senior transfer Trae Golden.
“Trae and Daniel, two seniors out there, give us poise that we haven’t had,” Gregory said.
For two teams still trying to figure out their identity in their earliest meeting of the 190 in their history, in-state prominence goes firmly now to Tech. The Jackets have won three in a row against Georgia for the first time since 1992-94 and consecutive games in Athens for the first time since 1959-61.
“I hope that over the last couple years these guys have started to understand when you put on that uniform one time of year it means even a little bit more,” said Gregory, now 3-0 against Georgia in his tenure at Tech.. “And tonight is that night and they showed it.”
Holsey dominated the glass, Miller found space over the top of Georgia’s zone, and Golden overcame the demons of a 1-for-10 shooting performance his last trip to Stegeman Coliseum as a guard for the Tennessee Volunteers. He had only four points in a 70-60 loss to Georgia March 2 with the Vols.
The senior transfer took some guff from Georgia fans Friday night, and liked it.
“I love it, man, the crowd calling me a quitter,” said Golden, who went 2-for-5 from 3-point range Friday and 8-for-10 at the free-throw line. “I ate it up. I like that type of stuff. It kind of fueled me and I just played harder and harder.”
Charles Mann was the brightest spot for Georgia (1-1), scoring a career-high 24 points, including 4-of-4 from 3-point range, and 7-of-12 from the floor. His backcourt mate Kenny Gaines added 13 points on 3-for-10 shooting, but was 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
Tech forward Robert Carter Jr. picked up two fouls in 18 seconds in the first half and sat all but two minutes. But Holsey grabbed 10 of his career-high 12 rebounds in the first half in his absence. Tech out-rebounded Georgia 49-40 for the game.
“We got out-rebounded by Georgia last year coach,” Holsey said. “I didn’t like when Coach said they manhandled us on the glass last year, so we took the challenge, and I feel like we did a pretty good job.”
The Jackets trailed 33-32 with 3:10 to go in the first half, but used a 13-point burst before halftime, including a pair of layups, an assist and a steal from freshman guard Travis Jorgenson to take a 43-38 lead.
With Carter back to start the second half, Tech mounted a 12-2 run to open a 55-40 lead, capped by back 3-pointers from Solomon Poole and Golden. Georgia coach Mark Fox was forced to call timeout before the first media timeout as Tech took control of the game.
“That little spurt separated them from us,” Fox said. “We played even the other 35 minutes of the game, but we have to understand that bad possessions are so costly in high-level games.”
About the Author
