THE FLATS – Georgia Tech men’s basketball closed out its non-conference slate in style, dismantling Florida A&M 89-65 on Sunday afternoon from inside McCamish Pavilion. The Yellow Jackets (9-4) polished off its best non-conference record since 2015-16 with the win tonight, leading the game in all aspects from start to finish.
For the first time in three seasons, six different Yellow Jackets delivered double-digit scoring days, headlined by a 15 from Baye Ndongo, playing in his first game in 25 days after recovering from an injury. The center from Senegal delivered the 22nd double-double of his career and third of the season hauling in 11 rebounds to go along with his 15 points and five assists. Lamar Washington secured his fourth-straight 10-5-5 game, finishing with 10 points, a team-high eight assists and seven rebounds, he also posted a pair of steals, marking three straight games with multiple steals. In his four games as a starter, Washington is averaging 16 points, 8.5 assists, 6.5 rebounds and 1.75 steals.
Chas Kelley III delivered his best offensive game in White & Gold, scoring a season-high 14 points off the bench on five-for-five shooting. Akai Fleming was back in double-digits for the sixth time in his last seven games, delivering 12 efficient points on just four field goal attempts. Mouhamed Sylla and Kowacie Reeves Jr. rounded out the double-digit scorers, each finishing with 11. The Jackets nearly finished with seven in double-digits with Jaeden Mustaf delivering nine points off the bench in his first game action in 22 days after recovering from an injury himself.
In the opening frame, Tech flexed its muscles, dominating play in every aspect of the game to the tune of a 43-21 halftime lead. The Jackets out-rebounded FAMU 30-14, including a team-high seven from Sylla. Tech held the Rattlers scoreless for over six minutes in the middle portion of the half, going on a 14-0 run to extend the lead even further. By the end of the first 20 minutes, Tech was shooting 60.7 percent from the field (17-for-28) and 50 percent from three (4-for-8) while holding FAMU to just 22.2 percent (8-for-36) and 21.1 percent from three (4-for-19). The Jackets owned the paint, outscoring FAMU 24-8 and out-blocking the Rattlers 5-1.
The second half was more of the same as Tech imposed its will in the paint, out-scoring FAMU 26-14. The Jackets led by as many as 34 points before ultimately coming away with the 24-point victory.
The Jackets begin Atlantic Coast Conference play in three days’ time when they travel up to Durham, N.C. for the ACC opener at No. 6 Duke. Tipoff for that matchup is set for 4 p.m. from Cameron Indoor Stadium and will be broadcast on ACC Network.
Baye Ndongo returned to the court for the first time in 25 days and delivered his 22nd-career double-double (15 pts, 11 reb.) (Danny Karnik photo).
POSTGAME NOTES
TEAM NOTES
- Georgia Tech wrapped up non-conference play with a 9-4 record, marking the best out-of-conference ledger since the 2015-16 season.
- The Yellow Jackets also improved to 9-1 on its home court for the best home start since 2015-16.
- Georgia Tech Damon Stoudamire teams improved to 12-7 in the month of December and 9-2 in December home games.
- Six Yellow Jackets finished in double-figure scoring totals for the first time since Dec. 17, 2022 when six Jackets posted 10-plus against Alabama State.
- For the ninth time this season, Georgia Tech saw four Jackets finish in double-figures. It was also the third time at least five finished with 10-plus.
- For the second time this season, Georgia Tech saw all five of its starters finish in double-figures. The first was just two games ago against Marist on Dec. 16.
- As a team, Georgia Tech shot 61.1 percent (33-54) from the field for a season-high field goal percentage. The 61.1 percent efficiency marked a best in the Damon Stoudamire era, besting the previous high of 58.5 percent against Boston College on Jan. 4, 2025.
- The last Georgia Tech team to shoot better than a 61.1 percent clip dates all the way back to Jan. 30, 2010 when the Yellow Jackets shot 71.2 percent in a 98-50 win over Kentucky State. It becomes just the fourth time since Jan. 30, 2010 a Georgia Tech team shot better than 60.0 percent (Nov. 11, 2019 at Georgia, 60.7; Nov. 11, 2013 vs. Cornell, 60.3; Jan. 30, 2010 vs. Kentucky State, 71.2).
- Georgia Tech recorded a season-high 23 assists in the victory, paced by Lamar Washington’s Baye Ndongo added five helpers to match his career-best.
- The Yellow Jackets also won the rebounding battle, 46-29, for the eighth time this season.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Junior Baye Ndongo returned to the starting lineup and posted his third double-double of the season, and 22nd of his career, with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Ndongo produced a solid stat line adding five assists, three steals and three blocks.
- Coming off the bench, Chas Kelley III added 14 points for a season-high and just three points off matching his career-best. Kelley was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, tying his career-high in field goals made.
- Freshman Akai Fleming added 12 points to the column for his ninth game in double-figures this season. Fleming has now logged three-straight games with 10 or more points, and six in the past seven.
- Kowacie Reeves Jr. continued his streak of double-figure scoring outings, extending it to five-straight with 11 points. Reeves is now 23 points away from hitting 1,000-career points.
- Freshman Mouhamed Sylla got back to double-digit ways, adding 11 points for his 10th double-digit game of the season. Sylla added eight rebounds to just miss a double-double.
- Lamar Washington rounded out the six Jackets in double-figures with 10 points for his seventh game this season. Washington led the Jackets in assists for the eighth time this season, dishing out eight in the victory. Washington was just off missing a triple-double with seven rebounds.
Lamar Washington is averaging 16 points, 8.5 assists, 6.5 rebounds and 1.75 steals in his last four games as a starter (Danny Karnik photo).
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Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL
Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team is in its third year under head coach Damon Stoudamire. Tech has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, won four ACC Championships (1985, 1990, 1993, 2021), played in the NCAA Tournament 17 times and played in two Final Fours (1990, 2004). Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball on social media by liking their Facebook Page, or following on X (@GTMBB) and Instagram. For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
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