Georgia Tech Basketball vs Florida State: Preview, How to Watch, and Prediction

Can Georgia Tech pick up a second straight win when they face Florida State?

Georgia Tech is fresh off of an upset win over No. 12 Miami and will hit the road for the first time in a month when they head to Tallahassee to take on a struggling Florida State team. 

The Yellow Jackets might have gotten the shot in the arm they needed to jump-start their season. Lance Terry had the best game of his Yellow Jackets career against Miami and finished with 24 points and will be looking for a follow-up performance on Saturday. Terry missed his career high for points by two when he missed two free throw attempts in the closing seconds against Miami. He still finished with 24 points, his best effort as a Yellow Jackets, and his sixth career 20-point game. Terry played all 40 minutes against Miami, the first time a Tech player has played the full 40 minutes in a regulation game since Michael Devoe did so against Wisconsin on Dec. 1 of last season (Per Georgia Tech PR). 

The Seminoles have been one of the top teams in the ACC while Leonard Hamilton has been the head coach, but FSU sits at 4-11 overall this season and 2-2 in the ACC. Florida State has wins over Louisville and Notre Dame, two teams that have yet to earn their first ACC win this season. It was a terrible start to the season for Florida State, but they have started to show signs of improvement. FSU lost nine of their first ten games this season, but have won three out of their last five (Per Georgia Tech PR). 

Lance Terry had 24 points in the Yellow Jackets' win over Miami on Wednesday / Georgia Tech Athletics

Overall, Yellow Jackets head coach Josh Pastner is 4-5 against Florida State but has found success against the Seminoles lately. Tech has won the last three meetings against Florida State, averaging 77 points and with an average winning margin of 10 points. The second of those three wins was the Yellow Jackets’ 80-75 triumph over the Seminoles in the championship game of the 2021 ACC Tournament.

It was a complete all-around performance for Georgia Tech on Wednesday against Miami. The three-point defense held Miami to 5-32 shooting from deep and then on offense, the Yellow Jackets scored their season-high in an ACC game this year. Tech’s 39 points in the first half and 70 points in the game against Miami were easily its highest totals in ACC games this season. The Jackets scored 26 at North Carolina (59 for the game), 26 vs. Clemson (66 for the game), and 25 vs. Virginia (56 for the game). Tech leads the ACC and ranks ninth in the nation in three-point defense after limiting Miami to just 5-of-23 from distance. The Jackets’ opponents are hitting 26.6 percent on threes for the season in all games. ACC foes have hit 27.1 percent (Per Georgia Tech PR). 

Miami entered the game ranked No. 15 in the nation in offensive efficiency, and the Yellow Jackets limited the Hurricanes to 35.3 percent from the floor, under 40 percent in each half, and 5-of-32 from three-point range. For the first time in four ACC games, Tech’s offensive efficiency rating was above one point per possession (107.1), and for the first time, it held its opponent under that threshold (98.7) (Per Georgia Tech PR). 

Georgia Tech had its best offensive performance in an ACC game against Miami / Georgia Tech Athletics

The other Georgia Tech guard that played well against Miami on Wednesday was Miles Kelly. His shooting was a bit inefficient, but he scored 20 points for the second straight game and has scored in double figures in nine straight games. 

How To Watch Georgia Tech vs Miami

Who: Georgia Tech vs Miami

When: 1:00 p.m., Saturday

Where: Donald L. Tucker Center (Tallahassee, FL)

TV: ACC Regional Sports Network

Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)

Radio: Georgia Tech Sports Network by Legends Sports (In Atlanta: 680 AM/93.7 FM | SiriusXM ch. 386, SXM app 986 | Listen Online | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets App | TuneIn. Play-by-Play: Andy Demetra | Analyst: Randy Waters

Prediction: 

Can Georgia Tech win its second straight ACC game on Saturday? / Georgia Tech Athletics

I think this is a winnable game for Georgia Tech. Playing a Florida State team coached by Hamilton is never an easy task, but this is not the kind of team that Florida State is used to seeing. 

Georgia Tech's defense has been consistent in most games this season, but I think the offense is the biggest key. Kelly and Terry were able to score plenty on Wednesday and Deebo Coleman also found himself in double digits. If the offense can stay hot, there is no reason Pastner and his team can't get a win on Saturday. 

Final Score: Georgia Tech 67, Florida State 62

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