Georgia Tech Holds Off Wake Forest In Winston-Salem

Georgia Tech overcomes early foul trouble with clutch free throw shooting & stellar guard play to escape Winston-Salem with a victory over Wake Forest.

Heading into tonight's matchup, the home team in the Georgia Tech-Wake Forest series had won the last 7 contests with the road team last emerging victorious back on Feb. 1st, 2014 when the Rambin' Wreck won 79-70 in Winston-Salem. The victory moves them to .500 on the season for the first time in the month of February since head coach Josh Pastner's first season in Atlanta.

Free throw shooting and superb guard play from Tech (13-13, 7-8 ACC) helped them break the home winning streak in the series, as the Yellow Jackets took down the Demon Deacons 86-79 from Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Georgia Tech's backcourt was the star of the show, as sophomore shooting guard Michael Devoe and junior point guard Jose Alvarado both had over 20 points and were the only players on the court to do so tonight. Devoe had 24 points on 9-14 from the field and was instrumental down the stretch. His three consecutive field goals in the final 5 minutes was crucial in getting separation as the game dwindled down.

Meanwhile, Alvarado had 22 on the night  on just 4-10 from the field. The bulk of his scoring came from the charity stripe, as he went 13-15 from he free throw line. The team as a whole went 29-39, good for 74.4% on the night.

The game wasn't without drama though. Early foul trouble and a pesky Wake Forest (11-15, 4-12 ACC) squad made it competitive throughout the night. Senior center James Banks III picked up his second foul less than 4 minutes into the game and was assessed his fourth just 20 seconds into the second half. Both him and fellow big man junior Moses Wright would foul out.

Wake Forest also shot well above their average and what Tech typically allows on any given night. Averaging 42.0% on the season with Tech normally holding opponents to 40.1%, the Demon Deacons shot 49.0% from the field. They also went on a 9-0 run to begin the second half to take a momentary lead. 

But unlike many nights this season where they faltered down the stretch, Georgia Tech finished the game strong and kept their opponent at bay for almost the entire game. For the night, the Deacs only led for 2:23 compared to Georgia Tech's 32:13.

Next up, Georgia Tech continues their road trip and will travel to Syracuse for a rematch with the Syracuse Orange. Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 22nd at 4:00 p.m. ET.

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