After losing to Dayton last week, and trailing North Carolina A & T by double-digits on Sunday, Georgia Tech got a nice ego boost against Mississippi Valley State Tuesday night in a 76-59 romp.
The Yellow Jackets (5-1) led by as many as 35 points, held the Delta Devils without a field goal for a 12-minute stretch in the first half and outscored them 30-0 in the paint before halftime, in what amounted to tune-up before Thanksgiving and this weekend’s trip to the Barclays Center Classic.
Robert Carter Jr. paced Tech with 13 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in only 22 minutes.
Tech will go from playing Mississippi Valley State, probably best known as Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice’s alma mater, to Ole Miss on Friday night in the tournament opener in Brooklyn.
Mississippi Valley State had given up 117 points in a loss at Oklahoma State, 94 points at Mississippi State and 111 points in its last game at Ole Miss. Tech didn’t rack up that kind of offense, but it would be hard to find as dominating a defensive performance as Tech put up, especially on the interior.
Not only did nine different Tech players score but five different players had blocked shots. Tech imposed its defensive will – holding the Delta Devils to four field goals in the first half, all from 3-point range.
The Delta Devils (1-5) managed nothing from the inside early, while taking almost half of their shots from behind the arc (15 of 31). It’s no wonder because Tech blocked five of the other 14 shots attempted inside, including two from Robert Carter Jr. and two from Daniel Miller.
D’Angelo Priar and Anthony McDonald had a pair of 3-pointers each to account for 12 of Mississippi Valley State’s 14 first-half points.
Tech meanwhile had nine different players score in the first half and used a 27-2 run to take a 41-14 halftime lead. Solomon Poole probably got the most style points for a tomahawk dunk for two Tech’s 14 fastbreak points to Mississippi Valley State’s zero in the first half.
Kammeon Holsey had the pass of the game though, spinning in the lane and going behind his back to leave the ball for Miller, who drew a foul. He showed his passing prowess again in the second half with a one-touch kick-out to Quinton Stephens on the wing for an open 3-pointer.
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