Pitt
12-15, 2-12ACC
Georgia Tech
12-15, 4-10ACC
Panthers Suffer Setback at Georgia Tech
2/20/2019 11:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ATLANTA (AP) Jose Alvarado scored a career-high 29 points, helping Georgia Tech snap a seven-game skid with a 73-65 victory over Pitt on Wednesday night.
Pitt (12-15, 2-12 ACC) struggled early against the Yellow Jackets, who used a 17-0 run to build a 25-7 lead in the opening minutes. But the Panthers caused problems with their trap defense and chipped away at the deficit.
Thanks to 19 points from sharp-shooting senior Jared Wilson-Frame and 14 points from freshman guard Xavier Johnson, Pitt pulled within one with 7:57 remaining. That was as close as the Panthers got.
Alvarado, a 6-foot point guard who didn't leave the game and took some turns playing offense in the post, went to the rim with a response. Georgia Tech (12-15, 4-10) held on down the stretch.
Johnson registered his 24th double-figure scoring performance of the season and passed Charles Smith (435 points in 1984-85) for Pitt's freshman scoring record. Johnson now has 449 points this season.
Pitt's struggles from the free-throw line (20-for-38) aided Tech in escaping with the victory. The Panthers have now dropped 10 straight.
The Yellow Jackets blocked 12 shots in the game, with center James Banks III swatting away five attempts by the Panthers.
BIG PICTURE
Pitt: If there's anything positive about the season, Johnson is one of five first-year players for the Panthers, including Trey McGowens and Au'Diese Toney, to account for nearly 60 percent of the offense. McGowens and Toney are freshmen.
Georgia Tech: After using 11 different starting lineups, the Jackets have gone two straight games with the same starting five - Alvarado, Michael Devoe, Banks, Kristian Sjolund and Moses Wright. It was a risky move for coach Josh Pastner given that his team was coming off a 27.1 shooting performance, its worst of the season, against Florida State. ... Curtis Haywood went 2 for 4 beyond the arc, which might not sound impressive, but he had missed 30 of his last 32 coming into the game.
UP NEXT
Pitt: Hosts Clemson next Wednesday.
Georgia Tech: At Miami on Saturday.
---
