SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Four Yellow Jackets finished in double-figures, but it wasn’t enough as Georgia Tech dropped an 89-74 decision at Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon. Baye Ndongo logged a double-double by the end of the first half and Kowacie Reeves Jr. led the Jackets with 16 points.
Hot three-point shooting from the Fighting Irish allowed Notre Dame to build a double-digit lead in the first half as the home team went 11-for-19 (57.9%) from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes. The Jackets came out of the second media timeout trailing by six before stringing together a 6-0 spurt to knot the game at 16-apiece. It would be the final knotted score the first half as Notre Dame used a 22-13 run over the final 7:24 minutes to lead 45-33 at halftime.
Notre Dame continued its hot shooting in the second half, converting 58.3 percent (14-24) of its attempts. After hitting 11 three-pointers in the first half, the Fighting Irish were limited to three in the second half to finish with 14. Notre Dame’s 14 three-pointers marked a season-high by a Georgia Tech opponent this season.
A quartet of Jackets finished above 10 points paced by Reeves with 16. Ndongo added 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while Jaeden Mustaf contributed 14 points and Akai Fleming added 13 points.
Notre Dame was led by Cole Certa’s 37 points and Braeden Shrewsberry with 20.
The Yellow Jackets return home to host a midweek matchup against No. 15 Virginia on Wednesday, Feb. 18. Tip is slated for 9 p.m. inside McCamish Pavilion and will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
Baye Ndongo posted a double-double by the end of the first half (Grayson Rosen photo).
Postgame Notes
- Georgia Tech dropped to 11-15 overall and 2-11 in Atlantic Coast Conference play with the loss.
- For the 15th time this season, four Yellow Jackets finished in double-figures – Kowacie Reeves Jr. (16), Baye Ndongo (14), Jaeden Mustaf (14) and Akai Fleming (13).
- Both teams shot just under 50.0 percent from the field – Georgia Tech (47.2%), Notre Dame (49.2%).
- Baye Ndongo logged his fifth double-double of the season by the end of the first half adding 10 points and 10 rebounds in the opening 20 minutes. It marked the 24th of his collegiate career.
- Ndongo finished with 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while dishing out three assists.
- Kowacie Reeves Jr. led Tech with 14 first-half points and finished with 16 for the game for his 20th double-figure game of the season. Reeves has scored in double-digits in 15 of his last 17 games.
- Jaeden Mustaf added 14 points to the scoreboard for his eighth double-figure scoring game this season. Mustaf has reached double-figures in three of his past four games.
- Freshman Eric Chatfield, Jr. earned his first collegiate start. The Atlanta, Ga., native finished with six points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals.
