Georgia Tech does yet not have a victory over a Power Five opponent this season, but after going toe-to-toe with the No. 6 team in the country Wednesday, the Yellow Jackets have some newfound confidence.
They will have a chance to show if recent improvements have paid off during their ACC tilt with Boston College on Saturday in Atlanta.
Georgia Tech (9-5, 0-1 ACC) took a lead into halftime on the road against Duke, which was unexpected considering the Yellow Jackets’ struggles earlier in the season against mid-majors such as Maryland Eastern Shore, Georgia Southern, Drake and Marist.
In the first half, Georgia Tech shot 19-for-28 from the field (67.9%) and held the Blue Devils to 36.7%. After cooling off in the second half, the Yellow Jackets ultimately fell 85-79 after making just two field goals in the final seven minutes.
“It was a really good game, and I’m really proud of my guys,” Georgia Tech head coach Damon Stoudamire said after the loss. “It’s not an easy environment to play in whatsoever, and they responded to the challenge.”
Kowacie Reeves Jr. led the scoring attack against Duke with 23 points and five 3-pointers. He leads Georgia Tech in scoring at 16.0 points per game and is shooting 44.6% from the field.
Reeves played against Boston College in January 2024 and despite scoring 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting, Georgia Tech fell 95-87.
The Eagles (7-6, 0-0) will be playing their ACC opener after having an up-and-down nonconference schedule. Three of Boston College’s losses occurred in overtime, and two others came by one and two points.
They most recently took down Le Moyne 72-64 on Sunday, a game in which leading scorers Donald Hand Jr. and Fred Payne each tallied seven rebounds with 26 and 22 points, respectively.
Hand leads the Eagles with 15.8 points per game and has scored in double digits in all but two games. He scored 20 points against the Yellow Jackets last February in a 69-54 Boston College win.
“We found out a lot about ourselves with a lot of adversity, and I’m thankful that we showed great character through that adversity,” coach Earl Grant said after the win over Le Moyne. “Hopefully it’ll help us as we get ready for the next challenge that we have coming up.”
