WATCH: Ja'Von Franklin hammers down fast break dunk off loose ball
Georgia Tech continued to control their matchup with Virginia Tech in the second half with hustle plays like Ja’Von Franklin‘s major dunk. With a fast break opportunity off a missed shot, Franklin trailed on the play and beat two Hokies defenders down the court. His hustle was rewarded by being in the perfect spot for a tipped pass — letting him elevate with aggression to throw down a powerful slam.
Ja’Von Franklin throws down huge momentum dunk
Franklin’s effort is a perfect teaching point for youth coaches around the league, as there’s always a chance for that kind of reward if you run the floor on a fast break. In the game itself, it showed the toughness that Georgia Tech showed from the opening half to build a huge lead over a conference opponent.
The dunk also put an exclamation point on a stretch of the game where the Yellow Jackets defense was putting Virginia Tech in a tough spot to come back. While they weren’t able to score in bunches on their own end of the floor, they held the Hokies to just 15.8 percent three-point shooting with six minutes to play in the game.
Despite the effort, Georgia Tech’s one-time lead of 16 points was cut to single digits midway through the second half and Virginia Tech kept battling.
Georgia Tech was seeking just their third win of the year in conference play, coming into the contest with a 9-16 overall record and a 2-13 mark in ACC games. Meanwhile, the Hokies were hoping to avoid another tough loss on the season and entered the matchup with a 15-10 overall record and 5-9 mark in ACC play.
Ultimately, the Yellow Jackets handled their business on the court and won 77-70, reminding teams they’re a tough opponent despite their season’s struggles.