Georgia Tech controlled the tempo from the get-go on Wednesday night in Atlanta and Virginia Tech couldn't rally after trailing by as many as 16 points, losing 77-70. The loss essentially ends the Hokies' hopes of an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament.
Virginia Tech (15-11, 5-10 ACC) came out firing early, led by Grant Basile. The big man, who finished with a game-high 21 points that tied GT's Dallan Coleman, had his eighth 20-point game of the year on the heels of back-to-back 33-point performances. 13 of his points came in the first half.
But after Basile's early burst, the Hokies struggled. They shot 41% from the floor for the game (30-of-73) and were poor from three (6-of-23, 26%), and despite grabbing 15 offensive rebounds, they scored just 14 second chance points. In fact, they took 15 more shots than the Yellow Jackets (10-16, 3-13 ACC) but only made four more.
Josh Pastner and Georgia Tech switched defenses often, keeping the Hokies on their toes. They used man-to-man, a 1-3-1 zone, a 2-3 zone and even a triangle-and-two. And while VT got some good looks, it couldn't finish around the rim; it made just 13 of its 25 layups.
Meanwhile, GT had an explosive evening from behind the arc. The Yellow Jackets were 11-of-22 (50%) from deep, knocking down eight in the first half to enter intermission with a 10-point lead, 41-31. In the last three games, Virginia Tech has allowed its opponents to shoot 36-of-76 (47.4%) from distance.
All five starters scored in double figures for GT, led by Coleman. Four of those players nailed multiple 3-pointers, too. Miles Kelly finished with 15 points and six rebounds (3-of-6 3FG), Lance Terry added 14 (2-of-5 3FG) and Kyle Sturdivant (3-of-5 3FG) and Ja'von Franklin each contributed 10. Franklin finished with a double-double, too, grabbing 10 rebounds in the process. He also created havoc on the defensive end, blocking five shots.
Justyn Mutts had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and he was close to a triple-double with nine assists. Sean Pedulla and Hunter Cattoor scored 11 points each while Lynn Kidd had six off the bench.
The Hokies could not sustain a rhythm against the Yellow Jackets on either end. Though they had a 13-2 run over a three-minute span in the second half while trailing by 16, GT quickly responded with five points, pushing the lead back to 10.
The largest difference was towards the end of the first half when the Hokies missed six shots in a row over a stretch of two-and-a-half minutes and Georgia Tech ripped off a 7-0 run, taking the lead from three points to 10.
VT also didn't get to the free throw line. It only shot eight free throws while GT attempted 26, making just 14 (54%). The rebounding battle was close, 41-40 in GT's favor, and VT only turned the ball over 10 times. But it was a sloppy game from start to finish, which played into the Yellow Jackets' hands.
The loss was the eighth on the road this year for Virginia Tech. Despite the success at home, the program is 1-8 away from the friendly confines of Cassell Coliseum. The Hokies return to Blacksburg on Saturday to host league-leaders Pitt (5 p.m. ET, ACC Network).
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