Against the No. 2 team in the country, Georgia Tech’s shortcomings on offense were laid bare.
The Yellow Jackets succumbed to Virginia 57-28 Thursday night, creating open shots sporadically and making them infrequently when they had them. Tech’s 28-point total was its lowest since the 1946-47 team scored the same in a loss to Tennessee. It was also the lowest point total in a regular-season ACC game in league history, including the pre-shot clock era.
“What they do is, every open shot you get, you have to make,” Tech coach Brian Gregory said. “We struggled to make open shots tonight.”
That would be putting it mildly. Tech was 0-for-12 from 3-point range and made just 12 baskets out of 49 attempts overall (24.5 percent). Three of the 12 baskets were made in the final 3:16, long after Virginia coach Tony Bennett had emptied his bench.
Open looks at the basket were rare for the Jackets, first as Virginia’s transition defense prevented freebies in the open court, and second because the Cavaliers’ halfcourt defense strangled Tech. Repeatedly, the Jackets worked the ball around the perimeter until less than 10 seconds remained on the shot clock, leaving forward Marcus Georges-Hunt or another perimeter player to make a last-ditch attempt to free himself one-on-one.
“I think they’re just really all on the same page,” Tech guard Josh Heath said. “There’s no weak links on defense.”
The Jackets actually held their own defensively in the first half, as the typically efficient Cavaliers took a 28-16 lead in a 26-possession half. But the bottom fell out offensively after halftime. Tech scored two points over its first 11 possessions, by which point the Jackets trailed 37-18. The Jackets run their offense through the post, but the Cavaliers’ double-teaming of big men Charles Mitchell and Demarco Cox prevented them from getting looks at the basket. When they passed out of the post, Virginia recovered quickly enough to prevent open shots on the perimeter.
They also limited Tech to 10 offensive rebounds and four second-chance points, a focal point of its offense.
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, turned their offense to high gear in the second half, using screens and deft passes to create numerous open shots at the basket.
Tech (9-9 overall, 0-6 ACC) has lost its first six games in ACC play for the fifth time in school history. Virginia (18-0, 6-0) is off to its best start since the 1980-81 team, led by Ralph Sampson, started 23-0. Sampson was in attendance at John Paul Jones Arena Thursday night, watching his son Robert, a backup forward for the Jackets.
The younger Sampson made just one of six field-goal attempts and turned the ball over twice, though he collected a team-high seven rebounds.
Gregory called the play of Sampson and fellow “stretch 4” forward Quinton Stephens important against Virginia.
“Unfortunately, the guys who played that position today had some really clean looks and we just weren’t able to put those in,” Gregory said.
Sampson and Stephens were a combined 1-for-14.
Tech is not alone in getting manhandled by Virginia. Rutgers scored 26 points against the Cavaliers earlier this season, and Harvard scored 27.
“We can’t break, because with a record like this, people expect us to break and put our heads down and give up on each other, turn on each other,” Georges-Hunt said. “We’ve got to stay positive and keep our heads up.”
