ATLANTA, GA - Sparked by the resurgent Quinton Stephens and a dominant effort on the glass, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets upset the #4 Virginia Cavaliers by a final score of 68-64 at McCamish Pavilion.
Stephens, a junior captain who saw only 3 minutes of playing time off the bench in the Jackets’ prior game in Pittsburgh, was told he’d start against Virginia before practice following the Pittsburgh loss.
“I was a little bit surprised,” said Stephens. “But I was really forward to the opportunity so I just tried to make the most of it. On top of that my teammates had my back, they were excited for me, and they let me know that. It actually meant a lot to me.”
He did not disappoint. Stephens ignited the Jackets with a jumper just 11 seconds into the game en route to 10 points in the game’s first eight minutes. The Jackets led 17-9 at the under-12 minute media timeout.
Nick Jacobs chipped in 8 first half points to help lead Tech to a 35-24 halftime advantage. Jacobs finished the game with 16 points and 6 rebounds.
Another new starter, power forward James White, brought energy inside the paint and pulled down a game high 9 rebounds in 17 minutes of playing time. His effort on the offensive glass, where he grabbed 5 of his 9 rebounds, was recognized by both head coaches.
“We were trying to limit them to start the 2nd half,” said Virginia head coach Tony Bennett. “That guy [White] had three in a row, three of the first four, or four of the first six possessions… and it was frustrating.”
Said Georgia Tech head coach Brian Gregory, “The first five minutes of the 2nd half James White saved our butt. Those offensive putbacks were huge for us because we were not in a good flow offensively. His effort points on the glass were huge.”
The Jackets’ double-digit lead at halftime ultimately disappeared thanks to an aggressive effort by the Cavaliers. Similar to last year, they locked the Jackets down for much of the 2nd half and moved the ball quickly and effortlessly offensively. Cavaliers point guard London Perrantes was a catalyst with 7 points during a surge that tied the game 49-49 with 6:09 remaining.
Following a Jackets timeout, Tech forced the issue inside to Jacobs who was fouled and converted a pair of free throws to retake the lead. Then, similar to the start of the game, Stephens caught fire from deep with back-to-back 3-pointers. He followed that with a block in the lane on defense and the Yellow Jackets never looked back.
Today’s victory was likely coach Gregory’s biggest at home. It was Tech’s first top-5 win at home since 2010, a 71-67 win vs. #5 Duke. Despite today’s significance, the 2015-2016 Yellow Jackets celebrated as if they’ve experienced this before.
“It was real calm like we expected to win,” said captain Marcus Georges-Hunt, a senior who has incurred more than his fair share of heartbreak. “[We] won this one, but I’m already thinking about next week in South Bend.”
Tech visits Notre Dame Wednesday with a chance to even its ACC record at 2-2. If the Jackets’ plans for the postseason are to come to fruition, this next game is as important as the last.
