Jackets' woeful losing streak continues

Georgia Tech dropped its fourth straight game, losing on the road to Wake Forest 85-75. Earlier in the week, the Jackets dropped a game against the Hokies, 73-65.

The loss to Wake Forest extends the road-losing skid to 17 games and dropped the team to 13-8 overall and 2-6 in ACC play.

In the Virginia Tech game, Georgia Tech's only lead of the game came in the opening seconds of the first half.

The team scored the first basket to make it 2-0, but they trailed by as much as 10 late in the second half.

When the Jackets tied the game midway through the first half, the Hokies went on a 15-7 run to close out the half and take the lead for good.

"Offensively, in the first half, we had a lot of good looks, but we just couldn't knock shots down," said Georgia Tech Head Coach Paul Hewitt.

The Hokies dominated on offense, shooting 59 percent from the field and knocking down 19 of 25 free throws.

The Jackets failed to stop the Hokies offense as they scored a lot of their points in the paint, many of them on dunks.

Guard Zabian Dowdell controlled the offense and also led the team with 23 points.

"Give them credit for their guards who controlled the tempo ... I think that they played exceptionally well," Hewitt said.

The Virginia Tech defense also shut down the explosive Georgia Tech offense, holding them to just 65 points for a 36.6 shooting percentage.

This was the third straight game Tech has failed to score 70 points after averaging over 80 in previous contests.

Georgia Tech scored 30 in the paint, but missed 17 shots on 12 layups and jumpers from close range.

Ra'Sean Dickey failed to score any points for the first time since Nov. 28 in a home win against Penn State.

He was averaging nearly nine points and six rebounds per game before the loss.

Freshman guard Javaris Crittenton struggled throughout the game on offense, shooting 5-19 from the field for 12 points. Thaddeus Young, the team's leading scorer in the last two games, managed just six points on 2-10 shooting.

"Today wasn't one of [Young's] better offensive days. I didn't think early on he was out of sync. He had some looks that he would normally knock down. I cannot explain those things. I thought he had some decent looks but it just didn't go down for him," Hewitt said.

Freshman forward Mouhammad Faye and junior guard Anthony Morrow anchored the offense, scoring 17 and 18 points respectively.

"I thought we moved the ball pretty well, had some shots. We just didn't hit them," Hewitt said.

In Tuesday's game against the Demon Deacons, the Jackets once again struggled defensively, allowing 85 points and a 54.3 shooting percentage against a Wake Forest team that only averages 73 points per game.

Georgia Tech fell behind early, trailing 11 points at the end of the first half.

The Deacons, behind 22-17 at the time, engineered a 24-8 run to take the lead and control of the game.

The Jackets came as close as three points numerous times in the game, but were unable to capitalize and take the lead.

While Tech continued its losing streak, they improved on one statistic that has characterized their road losses this season: turnovers.

The Jackets committed just nine turnovers as opposed to the 16 that they have averaged on the road this season.Tech lost to its second opponent with a losing record. Four of Tech's eight losses have come against ranked opponents.

Dickey, after his scoreless game against Virginia Tech, led all Jackets with 14 points. He also led the team with 10 rebounds.

Crittenton struggled again, finishing with just eight points.

He shot just 11 for 36 from the field in the last four games. Morrow and Young added 13 points apiece.

Deacons' center Kyle Visser led his team with 26 points, seven of which came in a key stretch in the second half that extended Wake's lead to 77-68 with just over two minutes to play.

During this four-game slide, Tech has struggled to gain a lead in the first half and each time was never able to tie or regain the lead in the second.

They have lost three of the four games by double digits and have lost three of four on the road.

The Jackets only have three road games left in the season to stop their woeful streak on the road.

All three games are against ACC opponents, two of which (Duke and Florida St.) the Jackets have beaten earlier this season at home.

The Jackets will play against Clemson tomorrow at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

This game is the first of a stretch of four consecutive games played in Atlanta.