Jackets Get Road Win at Miami, 80-76 – Men’s Basketball — Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Coral Gables, Fla. – Miles Kelly scored a game-high 25 points and drained seven three-point field goals, and Kyle Sturdivant hit four critical free throws in the final minute to lift Georgia Tech to an 80-76 win over Miami Saturday on the road at the Watsco Center.
Tech (12-16, 5-12 ACC) got its second road win in the ACC this season and won for the second time in three games, but the Yellow Jackets had to survive not scoring a field goal over the game’s final seven minutes to come out on top. The Hurricanes (15-13, 6-11 ACC) nearly erased a 13-point deficit over that stretch but couldn’t avoid their sixth straight loss.
Trailing 49-45 at the half, the Yellow Jackets opened the second half with nine straight points, and later added a 12-2 run to stretch their lead to 68-56 with 10 remaining in the game. The teams traded baskets over the next three minutes, with Kelly nailing his seventh three at the 7:03 mark to give Tech a 76-63 advantage, its largest of the game, with 7:03 left. It was to be the Jackets’ last field goal.
Miami ratcheted up its full court pressure, forcing Tech to miss its last seven shots from the floor and collect six turnovers. It fueled a 10-0 run for the Hurricanes to get within 76-73 with 2:54 to go.
Sturdivant was fouled and made two free throws to extend Tech’s lead to 78-73, but Miami got three shots at the basket on the next trip down, and Bentley Joseph drained a three to make it 78-76.
Again, Sturdivant drew a foul getting the ball up the court and made two more free throws with 11 seconds on the clock to give the Jackets their final margin.
Kelly made 9-of-16 shots from the floor, including 7-of-11 from three-point range to match his career best for threes. Kowacie Reeves, Jr., added 15 points, including three triples, and Sturdivant finished the game with 10 points and seven assists.
Joseph and Kyshawn George led the way for Miami with 16 points apiece, with Wooga Poplar scoring 14 and Matthew Cleveland adding 10.
Tech is off until next Saturday when the Yellow Jackets entertain Florida State for their final home game of the regular season. Tip is at 12 p.m. at McCamish Pavilion, and the game will be televised live on ESPNU.
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