NCAAB Game Recap - Pittsburgh at Georgia Tech
Wed Mar 4, 2020 9:00 PM EST

StFNY
58
RobM
59
F
TCU
66
Kansas
75
F
Bry
61
StFPA
87
F
MtStM
59
SacHr
61
F
Dayt
84
URI
57
F
FaDi
72
LIU
73
F
MorSt
67
TNSt
74
F(OT)
Wyo
80
ColSt
74
F
JSU
61
E IL
67
F
SJSU
66
NM
79
F
FSU
73
ND
71
F
AF
77
Fres
70
F
Vill
79
Seton
77
F
GTown
76
Crei
91
F
TAMU
78
Aub
75
F
UVA
46
Mia-FL
44
F
NW
48
Wisc
63
F
Xav
74
Prov
80
F
UTSA
59
ODU
84
F
N TX
43
UNCC
56
F
FAU
82
Marsh
94
F
Tuls
61
Temp
51
F
SMU
58
UCF
61
F
Ford
63
GrgWas
52
F
StJon
55
Butl
77
F
LSU
90
Ark
99
F
Clem
58
VaTec
70
F
StJos
73
StBon
89
F
Niag
55
Sien
77
F
Manh
59
Rider
71
F
Fairf
45
Monm
69
F
Canis
85
Maris
69
F
UMass
75
LaSal
64
F
Quin
69
Iona
68
F
Minn
67
Ind
72
F
Fla
68
UGA
54
F
StLou
69
GMas
57
F
UTEP
60
MTSU
56
F
FIU
73
LaTec
76
F
NOrl
73
NWSt
95
F
Rice
72
USM
57
F
HCU
88
InWor
76
F
SHSU
60
TXAMC
71
F
CenAR
65
SeLA
69
F
McNee
56
Nich
80
F
KSU
63
OkSt
69
F
Pitt
57
GaTec
73
F
Mizzu
67
Miss
75
F
CSNor
72
UCIrv
70
F

Mar 4, 2020, 9:00 PM EST

Final

1

2

T

Pittsburgh

21

36

57

Georgia Tech

30

43

73

Alvarado, Devoe pace Georgia Tech's 73-57 win over Pitt
Thu Mar 5, 2020 12:32 AM

ATLANTA (AP) For a week that began with his school dropping an appeal of its NCAA postseason ban, Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner delighted in the focus of his players.

"It's not easy to get the news that we got on Monday, but to be able to come out and play like we did with the edge and energy, the compete and the fight, that's really who we've been this year," Pastner said. "These guys have just played their tails off every possession."

Jose Alvarado scored 23 points, Michael Devoe added 13 and Georgia Tech won its third straight game with a 73-57 victory over Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.

Barely two days since athletic director Todd Stansbury met with his players to discuss the decision to drop the appeal, Pastner didn't know how they would respond, but the Yellow Jackets (16-14, 10-9 Atlantic Coast Conference) got some measure of satisfaction in earning their most wins in league play since 1995-96.

Eric Hamilton finished with 12 points to pace Pittsburgh (15-16, 6-14).

Xavier Johnson connected from 3 and Hamilton hit two free throws to help Pitt pull within four early in the second half, but the Jackets, fueled by Evan Cole's and Jordan Usher's dunks, went on a 15-4 run to go up 47-32 on Alvarado's 3.

Alvarado scored on consecutive possessions and Devoe followed with a corner 3-pointer to make it 59-43 with 7:47 remaining. Devoe hit another corner 3 that made it a 19-point lead that essentially finished off the Panthers, who dropped to 1-9 in league road games.

"We were able to make a couple of shots and we had the momentum back a little bit," Pitt coach Jeff Capel said. "They are a good team, a veteran team playing well. They were able to withstand it and they punched us back. We could never get close after that."

Georgia Tech, which led throughout, has won six in a row at home in league play to finish 6-4. The Jackets, who began the day in a five-way tie for fifth place in the ACC, have won five of six overall and eight of 11.

They took their biggest lead in the first half at 18 on Alvarado's layup at the 3:41 mark, but Pitt got 3s from Ryan Murphy, Gerald Drumgoole and Johnson to pull within nine at intermission.

Devoe hit a pair of free throws made it 20-9 midway through the for Georgia Tech's first double-digit lead.

Pitt has dropped seven straight since forcing 22 turnovers in a 74-63 win over Georgia Tech on Feb. 8. Jordan Champagnie, trying to become the first freshman to lead the Panthers in scoring and rebounding since Charles Smith in 1985-86, scored a season-high 30 in that game, but finished with 11 points and didn't score a field goal until the outcome was all but decided.

The Jackets can finish in fifth place by beating Clemson in two nights and getting a loss from Syracuse.

BIG PICTURE

Pitt: The Panthers struggled badly through much of the first half against Georgia Tech's 1-3-1 zone, a bad prescription for a team that began the game shooting 40.5% from the field, its lowest mark since 1968-69, and 29.2% on 3s, the lowest mark in program history. Pitt finished the game 31% from the field, caused mostly by Au'Diese Toney going 3 for 14.

Georgia Tech: After ranking near the bottom of the ACC in shooting in their first three years under coach Josh Pastner, the Jackets are second in field-goal percentage in ACC games and sixth in 3-point accuracy.

BANNED

The NCAA ruled in September that major recruiting violations were committed by one of coach Josh Pastner's former assistants, Darryl LaBarrie, and his former friend Ron Bell. Pastner was not directly named in the NCAA's findings and was largely cleared in the school's investigation. In dropping its appeal, Georgia Tech announced it will not attempt to play in the ACC tournament.

CELEBRATED

Seniors James Banks and Shembari Phillips, playing their last home games, were honored before the game. Banks had four blocks. The victory assured the Jackets of a .500 finish in the ACC, a mark last reached when the 2006-07 team went 8-8.

"We worked hard and we got better together," Banks said. "I think that's what you see on the court. It kind of (stinks) that we were able to get on a roll this late in the year, but that's the culmination of a lot of guys putting in a lot of hard work together, a culmination of what we're doing off the court and our camaraderie."

UP NEXT

Pitt: ACC tournament next week in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Georgia Tech: Ends the season Friday at Clemson.

---

More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

Leaders

Pittsburgh PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
E. Hamilton 12 0 0 9 0 0
J. Champagnie 11 0 1 2 0 2
Georgia Tech PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
J. Alvarado 23 0 5 8 3 1
M. Devoe 13 0 3 1 1 1

Team Comparison

Pitt GaTec
Points For 57 73
Field Goals 17/55-31% 27/55-49%
Three Pointers 6/14-43% 7/15-47%
Free Throws 17/25-68% 12/13-92%
Offensive Rebounds 14 11
Defensive Rebounds 17 28
Rebounds 38 42
Blocks 4 10
Steals 6 11
Turnovers 18 19
Personal Fouls 16 22
Technical Fouls 1 1
Ejections 0 0

2019-20 Reg Season - Series Tied 1-1

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Sat Feb 8 GaTec 64 @ Pitt 73 M. Devoe 22 J. Champagnie 30
Wed Mar 4 Pitt 57 @ GaTec 73 E. Hamilton 12 J. Alvarado 23

Game Information

Stadium: McCamish Pavilion, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 4,746
Game Time: