Field Level Media
Feb 20, 2019
Guard Jose Alvarado scored a career-high 29 points and helped Georgia Tech break a seven-game losing streak with a 73-65 win over visiting Pittsburgh on Wednesday in Atlanta.
Alvarado played all 40 minutes of the game, was 9-for-13 from the field, 5-for-6 from the free-throw line while adding six rebounds and five assists. He broke his previous career best of 24 points, set this season against Northwestern.
Georgia Tech (12-15, 4-10 ACC) got seven points and eight rebounds from Moses Wright, who hit two big free throws with 1:41 left and blocked two shots in the final two minutes. James Banks III had 10 rebounds and five rebounds before fouling out with 2:01 remaining.
Pitt (12-15, 2-12) was led by Jared Wilson-Frame with 19 points, including five 3-pointers, and 14 points from Xavier Johnson.
Johnson surpassed the school record for most points scored by a freshman. He now has 448, passing the mark of 435 set by Charles Smith in 1985.
Pitt has lost 10 straight and saw its losing streak in ACC road games stretch to 23. The Panthers were only 20-for-38 from the line and shot 33.3 percent from the field (19-for-57).
Georgia Tech took advantage of some poor Pitt shooting early in the first half. The Panthers made only four of their first 24 field-goal attempts, which allowed the Yellow Jackets to lead by 18 when Kristian Sjolund made a 3-pointer with 7:54 remaining go make it 25-7.
Pitt got as close as a five points a couple of times in the final two minutes of the first half. A driving layup by Alvarado off a nice pass from Banks allowed Georgia Tech to lead 34-27 at intermission.
The Panthers continued to draw close in the second half, only to have Georgia Tech respond. Pitt got within two points at 42-40 on back-to-back 3-pointers from Wilson-Frame, only to have Georgia Tech recover and up the lead to eight points on a 3 from Curtis Haywood II.
Pitt drew to within a point at 52-51 when Wilson-Frame made his fifth 3-pointer with 7:57 left. But Georgia Tech scored five straight points to restore a six-point lead.
Georgia Tech plays again on Saturday at Miami. Pitt does not have a game this weekend and plays next on Wednesday against Clemson.
--Field Level Media