Colby Garland scored 16 points on Tuesday to help Georgia Tech cruise to a 75-55 victory over visiting Hampton in Atlanta in the season opener for both teams.
Kam Craft added 12 points and Jackson Fields scored 10 for Georgia Tech, which led by 27 points at halftime. Tylis Jordan had nine points, eight rebounds and five blocks for the Yellow Jackets, who won the debut of first-year head coach Scott Cross.
Georgia Tech shot just 4-for-28 (14.3%) on 3-point attempts and turned the ball over 18 times, but outrebounded Hampton 59-33. The Yellow Jackets also went 15-for-25 (60%) from the free-throw line.
Nehemiah Lawrence and Etienne Strothers led Hampton with 10 points apiece.
Fields’ dunk began an early 9-0 run that gave Georgia Tech an 11-1 lead. Hampton made its first field goal with 15:23 left, when Aaron Davis’ jumper pulled the visitors within eight.
Fields, Craft and Jackson McVey each had baskets to help the Yellow Jackets go up 21-5.
Cole Kirouac’s dunk and back-to-back jumpers from Allen helped Georgia Tech stretch its lead to 24 with 4:17 remaining.
Hampton scored on consecutive possessions for the first time when Davis’ jumper and Max Frazier’s slam cut the Pirates’ deficit to 32-12.
Craft and Garland ended the first half with a 3-pointer apiece to give Georgia Tech a 42-15 halftime advantage.
Craft, Garland and Fields each had seven first-half points to lead the Yellow Jackets. Hampton missed each of its seven first-half 3-point attempts and went 3-for-11 from the free throw line before halftime.
Georgia Tech took its first 30-point edge on Craft’s triple with 17:19 remaining. Hampton scored the next eight points and trimmed the deficit to 51-29 on Lawrence’s trey at the 13:19 mark.
Craft became the only Yellow Jackets player to hit multiple 3-pointers when his shot with 2:48 left gave Georgia Tech a 68-49 lead.