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The No. 3 Louisville Cardinals (18-1, 11-1 ACC) enjoyed only a short stay in the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll. A 74-60 upset by the No. 4 NC State Wolfpack on the same day they ascended to the top of the women’s college basketball world knocked the back. Related
Yet, it was not due to Dana Evans that the Cardinals could not retain the No. 1 crown.
The reigning ACC Player of the Year, Evans poured in a season- and career-high-tying 29 points against the Wolfpack. She followed that up with two more fantastic efforts: 23 points and five assists in a 97-68 domination of Boston College and 27 points and five assists in a tight 71-65 win over Notre Dame.
No need to over-complicate it,
Josh Pastner said. Basketball, at its essence, is a make-or-miss game.
Exhibit A: Georgia Tech had open looks Wednesday but only made 4 of 21 three-pointers in a 57-49 loss to No 9 Virginia.
Exhibit B: Georgia Tech had open looks last month but made 16 of 27 threes in an 83-65 rout of No. 20 Clemson.
Those games stand in stark contrast to one another, but they illustrate Pastner’s point just the same. Georgia Tech (9-7, 5-5 ACC) now heads to Clemson (12-5, 6-5 ACC) on Friday facing an entirely different kind of make-or-miss situation. The Yellow Jackets missed their chance at a resume-boosting win over the Cavaliers Wednesday. They can make up for it with a Quadrant 1 road win over a rested, revenge-minded Tigers team Friday.
By Andy Demetra | Voice of the Yellow Jackets
The pregame coaches’ interview always involves a certain degree of clairvoyance. Coaches are asked to predict how the game will unfold, how their opponent will play, and what their team’s keys to victory will be. Still, Josh Pastner offered a rare level of specificity during our pregame interview before Georgia Tech’s game versus Virginia on Jan. 23 in Charlottesville.
“If we get to 65 [points], we’ll win the game,” Pastner told us that night.
“You’re darn right if we got to 65, we would’ve won,” he followed up on Monday.