Rodney Hood made sure No. 16 is as far low as the Duke Blue Devils will go as his 27 points set the pace in a 79-57 win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Tuesday.
Duke vs. Georgia Tech final score: Rodney Hood spurs Duke’s 79-57 rebound victory
Rodney Hood did all he could to make sure Duke’s slide in the polls would stop at No. 16.
Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
Following a loss to Notre Dame last weekend, the Blue Devils dropped out of the AP top 10 for the first time since 2007. Heading back to the friendly confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium was exactly what Duke needed, although the Blue Devils needed a half to pull it off.
Duke entered halftime leading by one point, but Hood took over in the second half. He scored 15 of his 27 points after the break to lead all scorers in the game and the Blue Devils to the win. Five Blue Devils scored in double figures, including freshman Jabari Parker, who struggled for the third straight game. Parker had 12 points off of 4-of-12 shooting. After averaging 22.2 points through the first 12 games of the season on 53.9 percent shooting, Parker has averaged 10.3 points on 31.4 percent shooting over the past three games.
Marcus Georges-Hunt led the Yellow Jackets with 18 points, but Georgia Tech had a hard time figuring out Duke's defense. Georgia Tech was out-rebounded for the first time this season and was noticeably missing Robert Carter Jr. Carter, the ACC's leading rebounder, is sidelined with a knee injury.
Duke heads back on the road to visit Clemson on Saturday, while Georgia Tech returns home to host Notre Dame.
More from SB Nation College Basketball
See More:
