Georgia Tech left looking for answers after loss

ATHENS -- After his team's worst performance of the season, Georgia Tech forward Marcus Georges-Hunt was trying to put a positive spin on a disappointing afternoon.

In the wake of Saturday's 75-61 loss to rival Georgia, a result that snapped Georgia Tech's four-game winning streak in the series, Georges-Hunt attempted to look at the bright side. He pointed out that in the past two seasons, when Georgia Tech defeated Georgia, the Bulldogs still managed to make the postseason.

"We got to take this and learn from it," Georges-Hunt said. "We beat them the last two years, and they went to the postseason. We've got to learn from this and build off this loss."

It might take a creative writing major to concoct much positive out of Saturday's loss. Coming off its best win of the season four days earlier against Virginia Commonwealth, Georgia Tech (7-3) produced its most forgettable performance.

"Give them credit," Georgia Tech head coach Brian Gregory said. "We didn't play very well, and they played very well. They were good offensively, kept us out of rhythm on our offense, particularly in the second half."

Georgia shot 49 percent from the field, the second-highest percentage allowed by the Yellow Jackets this season. Only Villanova (52.9 percent) was more efficient from the field.

Georgia finished dead-even with Georgia Tech on the boards, with each team getting 34. Only Tennessee has done better, although the Yellow Jackets won that game. Georgia Tech scored only two fast-break baskets.

"The fast break was non-existent because we weren't getting any rebounds," Gregory said.

Georgia Tech was called for a season-high 28 fouls in a game that was officiated closer than any other this year. Combined with the 19 fouls called on Georgia, the stoppage hindered both teams from getting in synch.

"We struggled guarding them," Gregory said. "We were a step slow in everything."

Senior forward Charles Mitchell, who has been one of the team's most consistent players, got in foul trouble early and played only seven minutes in the first half. He finished with no points and four rebounds, bringing the curtain down on his streak of double-doubles at nine.

Georges-Hunt was also hampered by foul trouble and limited to 25 minutes. He scored 11 points, but nine of those came from the line.

Tadric Jackson scored a season-high 14 points and shot 3-for-6 on 3-ponters. Adam Smith scored 11, including three 3-pointers.

"We had a little fool's gold in the second half with a couple of those 3s that Adam made, but we weren't getting any stops," Gregory said.

Gregory said there are many learning moments that can be gleaned from this game and implemented in the final three games before the ACC schedule starts. The Yellow Jackets play again Monday against Southeastern Louisiana at McCamish Pavilion.

"It was a lot of things we could have done better," Georges-Hunt said. "As a team, we'll go back and talk about problems we had, facing frustration a little bit. It was like adversity hit and we were trying to stick together, but things kept hitting us and hitting us and you could see people putting their heads down. That was adversity, in my opinion."

This story was originally published December 19, 2015 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Georgia Tech left looking for answers after loss ."