Field Level Media
Jan 28, 2020
James Banks III scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds to pace Georgia Tech to a 82-54 win over visiting Morehouse on Tuesday in Atlanta.
Banks, a senior forward, shot 4-for-5 from the field and blocked four shots. It was his fifth double-double this season and 12th of his career.
Georgia Tech (10-11) also got 11 points from Moses Wright on 4-for-5 shooting. Starters Jose Alvarado, Khalid Moore and Jordan Usher each scored nine. Evan Cole added a season-high 10 rebounds.
The Yellow Jackets played their second straight game without leading scorer Michael Devoe, who is sidelined due to a foot injury. They substituted liberally against their outmanned opponent, with 10 players netting 10-plus minutes. Twelve different Yellow Jackets scored points.
Division II Morehouse (9-10) was led by Michael Olmert with nine points and Julian Alexander with eight. Robert Andrews, the team's leading scorer, hurt his ankle after playing 12 minutes in the first half and did not return after scoring two points.
Georgia Tech limited Morehouse to 38.2 percent shooting from the field and outrebounded the Maroon Tigers 45-30.
Georgia Tech never trailed and took control of the game with a couple of impressive runs. The Yellow Jackets outscored Morehouse 11-0 and took a 25-11 lead on a dunk by Wright. They closed the first half with an 8-0 run and took a 44-22 lead into halftime when Alvarado scored on a layup at the buzzer.
It is only the second time the two Atlanta schools have played. They met in an exhibition game in 2006, with the Yellow Jackets winning 96-52. Both teams made the NCAA Final Four in 1990, with Georgia Tech making it in Division I and Morehouse in Division II. It is believed to be the only time two teams from the same city reached the Final Four in the same year, according to the Georgia Tech game notes.
Georgia Tech returns to Atlantic Coast Conference play on Friday with a game at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish won the first meeting 78-74 on Jan. 15. Morehouse is off until Monday, when it hosts Savannah State.
--Field Level Media