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Georgia Tech overpowers No. 6 Florida State

By Stan Awtrey, The Sports Xchange

ATLANTA -- A few more games like this and Georgia Tech won't be able to sneak up on anyone else.

The Yellow Jackets, picked to finish 14th in the ACC, beat their second top-10 team of the season -- the first time that's happened since 2003-04 -- and knocked of their third ranked team of the season in a 78-56 win over No. 6 Florida State on Wednesday at McCamish Pavilion.

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"I've watched all their games and they've played well all season," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. "We lost to a team that was well prepared, well coached and executed well in all phases of the game."

Josh Okogie and Ben Lammers each produced double-doubles, and Georgia Tech's defense shut down Florida State's high-powered offense in the stunning victory.

Okokie had 35 points and 14 rebounds in his first double-double of the season. Lammers finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds for his 10th double-double.

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Georgia Tech (12-8, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) limited Florida State to 15 points in the first half, a season low for the Seminoles, and held the visitors 29 points below their season average of 85.7 points. It was the fewest points scored by Florida State this season, four fewer than the Seminoles posted in a win over Virginia.

"We really played well," Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner said. "We executed, we really guarded today. They're one of the top 25 offensive teams in the country."

Okogie, a freshman guard, shot 10 of 17 from the field and 14 of 17 from the foul line. It was the most Okogie scored against an ACC opponent and the second most his career; he set the school's single-game freshman record with 38 against Tulane. He also had five assists and two steals Wednesday.

Lammers, a junior center, was 8 of 18 from the field, three of them dunks, as he bounced back from his season-low, seven-point effort against Virginia. Lammers added four assists and three blocked shots.

Quinton Stephens made three 3-point baskets and scored 13 points for the Yellow Jackets, who broke a two-game losing streak.

Florida State (18-3, 6-2) got 12 points from guard Dwayne Bacon, who was 4 of 15 from the field, including three 3-pointers. The Seminoles shot 28.2 percent for the game.

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Freshman Jonathan Isaac, honored on Monday as the national player of the week, scored six points on 3-for-10 shooting, and eight rebounds.

"Their defensive scheme caused us to be very tentative in the first half," Hamilton said. "They held us to 17 percent in the first half and that's to their credit."

Georgia Tech outrebounded the bigger Seminoles 53-39, with the Yellow Jackets getting 25 rebounds from their guards -- a stat that Pastner stresses to his players.

"The guard rebounding was big tonight," Stephens said. "Josh O. had 14. That was big."

The Yellow Jackets dominated the first half and led 41-15 at the break. They went on a 12-0 run midway in the half and led by as many as 28 points when Okogie drained a jumper with 1:55 remaining.

Georgia Tech led by 29 when Stephens made a 3-pointer to open the second half. Florida State drew as close as 18 points on a Bacon 3-pointer with 11:04 remaining and again on Trent Forrest's three-point play with 8:36 left.

But Okogie answered with a 3-pointer, his only trey of the game, and the Seminoles never again got closer than 20 points.

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"The energy we had tonight, I don't think they were able to match it," Okogie said.

Okogie became the school's third freshman to score 30 points in two games. Mark Price did it twice and Kenny Anderson did it four times.

NOTES: Georgia Tech senior G Corey Heyward made his eighth start of the season but the first since Dec. 20 against Georgia. He scored five points. ... Florida State G Dwayne Bacon was added to the midseason Oscar Robertson watch list for national player of the year. Freshman F Jonathan Isaac landed a spot on the Wayman Tisdale Award watch list for national freshman of the year. ... Matt Harpring, the No. 2 scorer in Georgia Tech history, will be honored as part of the ACC's Basketball Legends presentation at the ACC tournament in March. ... Both teams play again Saturday. Georgia Tech will host Notre Dame, while Florida State is at Syracuse.

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