Graduate senior Brandon Alston led four Georgia Tech players in double figures with 17 points as the Yellow Jackets defeated visiting Lamar 88-69 on Friday.

Alston was 6-for-10 from the floor and made four 3-pointers to pace the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech (1-0) also got 14 points from Jose Alvarado, 13 from Curtis Haywood II and 10 from Tennessee transfer Shembari Phillips.

Alvarado added four assists and two steals. Sylvester Ogbonda led the Yellow Jackets with nine rebounds before fouling out.

Haywood missed the final six weeks of last season because of a stress reaction in his right leg that required offseason surgery to insert a metal rod. The sophomore scored 11 of his points in the first half.

The game marked the debut of Georgia Tech's Michael Devoe, the program's high-profile, four-star signee. It was uncertain if Devoe would play, as he has only been practicing for 10 days due to a toe injury that sidelined him for six weeks. Devoe played 17 minutes and scored nine points, making a pair of 3-pointers.

Lamar (1-1) also had four players score in double figures: T.J. Atwood and Nick Garth with 17, Josh Nzeakor with 12 and Grehlon Easter with 10.

Georgia Tech set the tone early by using a 7-0 run to take a 16-5 lead. The Yellow Jackets led 44-22 at halftime.

It was the 11th straight season that Georgia Tech has won its home opener. The young Yellow Jackets are trying to rebound from a 13-19 season and are without All-ACC players guard Josh Okogie (now starting for the Minnesota Timberwolves) and center Ben Lammers (playing professionally in Spain).

It marked the first meeting between the two schools. Georgia Tech improved to 4-0 against members of the Southland Conference.

Georgia Tech plays again on Tuesday at No. 6 Tennessee. Lamar continues its two-game road trip on Sunday at East Carolina.

--Field Level Media