Georgia Get Upper Hand From Former T. Signee…

The former Georgia Tech signee made a significant impact on the Bulldogs’ victory in the rivalry.

Before deciding to reconsider his options due to the Yellow Jackets’ coaching change, shooting guard Blue Cain signed with Georgia Tech for just over three months. In the end, Cain arrived at Georgia, and he made the Yellow Jackets’ exit even more painful on Tuesday.

Cain tormented Georgia Tech from 3-point range by going 4-of-7 from deep on his way to 12 points in the Bulldogs’ 76-62 rivalry victory. While facing the team he originally planned to play for might have been odd, Cain explained afterward that it didn’t feel any different than any other matchup he’s been a part of this season.

“Coach White definitely told us about the rivalry, but we just treat it like a normal game. We just came out to play our game. We just tried to focus on us rather than them,” Cain said. “There’s no bad blood between us. They’re a great organization. Coach Stoudamire’s a great coach. There’s no bad blood between us. I just tried to treat it as a normal game.”

Cain might’ve approached the game like it was any other, but the shots he knocked down were surely more painful for a Yellow Jackets team poised to add him until Josh Pastner was dismissed in March.

Cain hit his first shot about eight minutes into the action to push Georgia’s slim lead to four points and set the stage for a 14-2 run that left Georgia Tech searching for answers. He delivered another 3 less than a minute after that run to cap a stretch where the Bulldogs went 3-of-7 from 3-point range.

After the break, the Bulldogs were more successful from 3-point range, and Cain played a significant role in that.

After making five 3-pointers in eight attempts, Georgia (6-3) went on a run that saw them lead by 18 points after Cain’s 3-pointer with 12:35 remaining.

Georgia Tech (4-3) tried to make things interesting in the final minutes, but Cain of all people shut the Yellow Jackets down.

The Yellow Jackets quietly pieced together a 9-0 run that cut Georgia’s lead to 14 with 7:31 to go, but there was no sense of panic from the Bulldogs. That was certainly the case following a quick Georgia timeout, as Cain unloaded another 3-pointer that hit the mark and essentially ended Georgia Tech’s comeback hopes.

“It was big,” Cain said of the 3-pointer. “It was just nice to stop their momentum. It was teammates trusting each other.”

Shooting guard Noah Thomasson of Georgia made it apparent that Cain was not acting when he said he wasn’t preoccupied with his past with Georgia Tech. According to Thomasson, Cain had little to say about the Yellow Jackets prior to the game. Thomasson continued, saying that when he questioned Cain about the circumstances, Cain responded as usual by laughing and joking.

After a coaching change, Cain was well on his way to North Avenue and was forced to reconsider, choosing to play his home games at Stegeman Coliseum instead. Georgia Tech’s defeat was Georgia’s gain, and he supported his team on Tuesday to give the Bulldogs the opportunity to brag going forward.

“Blue’s confident. He lets it come to him sometimes to a fault really — the way I look at it, at least. He’s also got the ability to attack closeouts,” Georgia head coach Mike White said. “He’s got a quick first step, and sometimes he’s out there just reading the game. His confidence never wavers, hits a lot of shots in practice. This is a typical practice for him or an intrasquad scrimmage or one of those where he goes 4-of-7 when he gets quality looks.”