Questions remain, but Georgia Tech shows flashes in 93-63 win
ATLANTA, GA- Georgia Tech began the game 0-9 from the field.
At times, they looked lost on offense. Defensively, the rotations were not crisp. The first half was hard to watch.
Led by the impressive debut of transfer Lance Terry, Georgia Tech looked like a completely different team in the second half outscoring Clayton State 59-29.
Forcing turnovers and shot-making will do that. So, too, will the different offensive strategy than the high-post one used in the first half.
Head coach Josh Pastner was honest about his team's efforts in the first half, and the subsequent turnaround coming out of the locker room.
"We had been really good all summer, fall, and pre-season at not playing the not-right way," said Pastner post-game. "We didn't move the ball, it stuck too much. I'm a big believer in the fact that the open man is the go-to man, and the go-to man is the open man. The ball just got stuck in the first half. That led to them getting open shots and fast-break opportunities."
Pastner continued, as he detailed the team's second half performance in which the team outscored Clayton State 59-29.
"We were much better in the second half," he said. "We are a much better team when the ball is moving, and we are playing free-flowing basketball. Our pathway to be successful to being successful when shots aren't going in is through rebounding. It gives us an umbrella when we aren't shooting it well to be able to rebound on both sides of the floor. The 21 offensive rebounds kept us alive.
The aforementioned Lance Terry, is set to quickly become a fan favorite if he is able to stack up performances like the one on Monday night, finishing the game with a team-high 16 points on 5-10 shooting (4-6 from three in the second half) in 24 minutes.
"It was his first time playing under the lights at Georgia Tech," said Pastner when asked about what changed for him in the second half. "He's been really good for us since he got here, I call him Mr. Dependable. He had to get his feet underneath him."
Soph. Jalon Moore has continued to get better each time he's stepped on the basketball court. Finishing the night with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks, Moore received a high-level of praise from his head coach after the game.
"Only one school coming out of high school offered Jalon a scholarship, and that was us," said Pastner with a smile. "I've said this before, but I think Jalon is going to have the chance to have a very similar development to that of Moses Wright. He is going to be a really good player. There was a bit of a struggle there in the first half, but he came alive in the second half. There's been glimpses in both the pre-season and in practices where he's been really good. The more he plays, the better he is going to get. The Jalon Moore you see in January will look like a different player.
Other noteworthy performances-
Rodney Howard: 15 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block in 20 minutes.
Deivon Smith: 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 assist in 25 minutes.
Kyle Sturdivant: 10 points, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 rebounds in 26 minutes.
Jordan Meka missed the game with what Pastner labeled as a short-term injury.
Up next-
Georgia Tech is a trip to Georgia State on Saturday, in a game that will tip-off at 7pm and be broadcast on ESPN+