THE FLATS – Powered by 55.3% shooting in the first half, Georgia Tech men’s basketball raced out to an early double-digit lead and maintained it throughout nearly the entire final 30 minutes of a 91-67 win over visiting Charleston Southern on Wednesday night at McCamish Pavilion.
Naithan George and Baye Ndongo led four scorers in double-figures with 17 points apiece for Georgia Tech (3-3), which shot 52.8% for the game (38-for-72), including its white-hot 21-for-38 opening half.
The Yellow Jackets all but put the game away with an early 16-3 run that gave them a 26-13 advantage midway through the first half. The Jackets held a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game, save for when Charleston Southern (1-7) briefly cut the deficit to eight points early in the second half. However, Tech responded with a 9-0 run that extended its lead back to 17 points at 57-40 with just under 14 minutes to go in the game and never trailed by less than 13 the rest of the way.
The Jackets’ 91 points were their second-most under second-year head coach Damon Stoudamire, while their 24-point margin of victory was their biggest under Stoudamire.
Georgia Tech took advantage of a massive size advantage over CSU, outscoring the Bucs by a 52-18 margin in the paint. Tech also outraced the Bucs to the tune of a 23-9 advantage in fast-break points.
In addition George’s and Ndongo’s 17 points each, Jaeden Mustaf and Lance Terry rounded out the Yellow Jackets in double-figures with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Mustaf’s 16 points were a career-high for the true freshman. Ndongo and Terry shot 8-for-10 and 7-for-10 from the field, respectively.
George led all players with seven assists and Ndongo grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
Taje’ Kelly led all scorers with 20 points for Charleston Southern.
Georgia Tech returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Central Arkansas. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at McCamish Pavilion.
True freshman Jaeden Mustaf had a career-high 16 points. (photo by Danny Karnik)
POST-GAME NOTES
- Tech has scored 80-plus points four times in six games and is averaging 79.5 points per game this season. The 91 points against Charleston Southern were the second-most under Damon Stoudamire behind the 95 the Jackets scored against North Florida on Nov. 10.
- Through the first five games, 41.3% of Tech’s field goal attempts had come from beyond the three-point line. Against Charleston Southern, the Yellow Jackets attempted only 11 shots from three-point range out of 72 total field goal tries.
- Tech scored a season-high 52 points in the paint against the Buccaneers.
- Tech shot 50 percent from the floor for the first time this season (52.8% vs. Charleston Southern). That included a 57.3% clip from inside the three-point arc.
- Tech committed a season-low seven turnovers and a season-high 10 steals against CSU.
- Four Tech players are averaging in double-figure points through five games (Baye Ndongo2, Lance Terry 13.0, Javian McCollum 12.8, Naithan George 10.7).
- Tech remains ahead of its pace in several offensive categories through five games compared to the same period a year ago – scoring average (79.5 ppg over 72.7), field goal percentage (43.6 pct. over 39.4), three-point percentage (30.8 over 29.8), free throw percentage (67.2 over 65.5), assist/turnover ratio (93/68 over 56/62).
- Lance Terry has reached double figures four times in six games this season and 50 times in his career. He played a season-high 36:40 vs. Charleston Southern and stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points (7-10 FG), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals and no turnovers.
- Terry is now within 30 points of 1,000 for his career – he has 970 for the season after beginning the season with 892.
- Freshman Jaeden Mustaf scored in double figures for the first time in his Tech career, tallying 16 points off the bench against Charleston Southern with three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 24:25.
- Naithan George has scored 10-plus points in each of Tech’s last two games and three times this season after leading the Jackets with a season-high 17 against Charleston Southern
- George has dished six or more assists four times this season and 14 times in his career (7 vs. Charleston Southern with no turnovers). He ranks in the top 10 in the ACC in assist average (5.2 per game) and assist/turnover ratio (2.82).
- Sophomore forward Baye Ndongo went 8-for-10 from the floor and tied for lead scoring honors for the Jackets with 17 points and a team-high 8 rebounds.
- Duncan Powell grabbed a season-high eight rebounds against CSU.
- Redshirt freshman forward Ibrahim Souare notched season highs of six points and four rebounds in a season-high 17:01.
