Georgia Tech will look to end a four-game losing streak when it hosts Syracuse in Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday at Atlanta.
The Yellow Jackets (8-10, 1-7) are coming off a 78-66 setback against North Carolina State on Tuesday.
NC State shot 27 of 53 (50.9 percent) from the field, including 7 of 21 (33.3 percent) from 3-point range. Georgia Tech went 28 of 71 (39.4 percent) from the floor, including an abysmal 2 of 21 (9.5 percent) from beyond the arc.
“They hit some tough shots, and we missed a lot of open shots,” Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner said. “That was the difference in the game.”
The Yellow Jackets, who have dropped six of their past seven games, were led by sophomore Jalon Moore, who scored a career-high 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Rodney Howard, Miles Kelly, Lance Terry and Kyle Sturdivant each scored nine points.
Kelly averages a team-high 13.6 points per game, while Dallan Coleman and Moore average 9.4. Deivon Smith averages 5.7 rebounds and a team-high 3.4 assists.
Syracuse (12-7, 5-3) had a two-game winning streak stopped when it lost 82-78 at No. 17 Miami on Monday. The Orange squandered an 11-point lead in the final 14:44.
The Orange were led by Jesse Edwards, who had 25 points — well above his 13.9 points per game average — to go with 11 rebounds.
Joe Girard III, who averages a team-high 16.9 points per game, added 21 points — despite going 1 of 8 on 3-point attempts – and five assists.
“Joe and Jesse really were good,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. “They did everything you could do to try to win this game.”
Judah Mintz, who averages 14.9 points per game, finished with just three points on 1-of-7 shooting from the field.
“We lost the game because we couldn’t get the ball up the court,” Boeheim said. “It’s embarrassing and it shouldn’t happen, but we are not good against pressure, basically.”
–Field Level Media
