Notre Dame @ Georgia Tech preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 30, 2017 ) Georgia Tech 59, Notre Dame 68

Georgia Tech is known to spring upsets at home against ACC foes ranked in the Top 25, and No. 25 Notre Dame looks to avoid a second consecutive defeat on the Yellow Jackets' home court Wednesday in Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets have won their past two games, including a 64-54 home victory over 17th-ranked Miami last Wednesday, and look to avenge a 68-59 defeat at Notre Dame in the ACC opener on Dec. 30.

“Our last two games, we’ve done a nice job of coming out in the second half and starting the second half the right way,” Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner told the media after the Yellow Jackets beat Yale 74-60 in a non-conference matchup Saturday. The Fighting Irish survived a defensive battle Saturday in Syracuse, scoring 28 points below its season average but overcame injuries to Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell to hold off Syracuse 51-49. Colson is gone for the next eight weeks with a broken left foot, while Farrell missed Saturday’s contest with a sprained left ankle and has been ruled out for Wednesday’s contest. “It just speaks to the tenacity as a team,” junior Rex Pflueger told reporters after his layup with 2.6 seconds remaining gave the Fighting Irish their fifth consecutive victory.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (13-3, 3-0 ACC): The Fighting Irish are one of three teams unbeaten in ACC play, but they will be challenged without Colson’s 21.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. T.J. Gibbs filled in admirably last week, winning conference player of the week after averaging 20 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists in victories over North Carolina State and Syracuse. Pflueger has scored 13.8 points with 5.8 rebounds and three assists per game during the Fighting Irish’s winning streak.

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (8-7, 1-1 ACC): Freshman Jose Alvarado helped break open a close game against Yale, scoring 16 of his 23 points in the second half while finishing 7-for-7 from the free-throw line and hitting four 3-pointers. Josh Okogie, who made the buzzer-beating layup in last season’s upset of Notre Dame, is averaging 20 points per game while making 42.9 percent of his 3-point attempts. Center Ben Lammers averages three blocked shots per game (13th nationally) to go with 12.3 points and 8.7 rebounds.

TIP-INS

1. Colson and Farrell, the Fighting Irish’s top two scorers (37.3 points per game combined), teamed up for 32 points and 22 rebounds against Georgia Tech earlier this season.

2. Georgia Tech F Abdoulaye Gueye scored a career-high 14 points with nine rebounds and three steals against Yale.

3. The Yellow Jackets started Tuesday ranked 26th nationally in scoring defense (64 points per game).

PREDICTION: Georgia Tech 64, Notre Dame 61