Gameday Live Blog/Open Thread: Wildcats @ Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech is hoping to break a two game losing streak tonight, as the Yellow Jackets (2-2, 1-0 ACC) take on the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (5-2, 0-0 MEAC) tonight at McCamish Pavilion.

Tech began the season on the right foot with wins over NC State and Elon, but ran into a speed bump against Georgia in Athens and fell victim to a near-buzzer beater against Arkansas to move to 2-2 on the season.

Tipoff is set for 6:00, and you can catch the game on ACC Network Extra and Fox Sports South.

PREGAME/PREVIEW

Ahead of tonight's 6:00pm tip, be sure to check out our preview of the Razorbacks and other related readings:

What To Watch For Vs. Bethune-Cookman

Tale of The Tape: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats

Josh Pastner Previews Bethune-Cookman

Probable Starters:

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

G Bubba Parham

G Michael Devoe

F Khalid Moore

F Moses Wright

F/C James Banks III

Bethune-Cookman Wildcats

G Leon Redd

G Joe French

G/F Isaiah Bailey

G/F Wali Parks

F Cletrell Pope

- Georgia Tech point guard Jose Alvarado will not play tonight, as he is out with a right ankle injury and expected to be sidelined until the Yellow Jackets take on the Kentucky Wildcats.

Update:

Tech is going with a different lineup tonight, inserting forward Evan Cole into the starting five in place of James Banks III.

FIRST HALF:

Bethune-Cookman is certainly taking advantage of James Banks III's absence from the game. The Wildcats are 5-8 from the field at the first media timeout and are evenly spreading the scoring around. Meanwhile GT is only 3-9 from the field and started the game 1-7. Both factors combined results in a 11-6 early lead for Bethune-Cookman.

Georgia Tech is having a hard time at both ends of the floor. Cletrell Pope already has 6 point and 5 rebounds, and the Jackets are only 4-12 from the field and 0-4 from beyond the arc. After not starting the game, James Banks III gets to the floor in the second round of substitutions.

Bethune-Cookman calls a timeout following a 7-0 run from the Jackets, after Moses Wright slams home a wide open dunk. However GT then goes on a 3:11 minute scoring drought while simultaneously letting the Wildcats extend their lead. Moses Wright leads Tech in points, rebounds and assists at the 3:34 mark of the first half.

Thanks to making 6 of their last 8 field goals in the first half, Tech has cut the deficit to just 2 points at the half.

HALFTIME STATS:

A pair of layups from Devoe and Banks III gives the Yellow Jackets their first lead of the contest. Bethune-Cookman calls timeout at the 17:45 mark of the game.

B-C and GT are trading buckets at this point in the game, with Cletrell Pope and Michael Devoe both having 4 second half points and their squads tied at 43 at the 14:23 mark.

Georgia Tech has held the Wildcats to just 4-15 shooting at the 11:46 mark of the second half.

With 7:42 to go, neither team is shooting particularly well. In the second half, they're a combined 12-37. Deadlocked at 52.

Bubba Parham has his first career double, with 12 points and 10 rebounds at the 5:37 mark.

At the final media timeout, both teams remain tied at 61. Tech has 3 scorers in double figures, including 20 from Michael Devoe. Bethune-Cookman's Cletrell Pope has 18 points and 17 rebounds, accounting for nearly half of B-C's rebounding total.

Shooting guard Michael Devoe gives Tech a 2 point lead with 7 seconds to go, and is fouled on the way up. He sinks the FT and Bethune-Cookman can't hit the game tying 3.

FINAL: Georgia Tech 68, Bethune-Cookman 65.

Final Stats:

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