Jackets Fall to the Panthers, 72-64

THE FLATS – In a game that featured seven lead changes and three ties as neither team built a lead larger than nine, Georgia Tech men’s basketball came up just short, falling 72-64 to Pitt on Tuesday night at McCamish Pavilion.

The Yellow Jackets (9-10, 2-6 ACC) and Panthers (12-7, 3-6 ACC) were largely even the whole night with key free throws late keeping the game out of reach. Tech converted just 39 percent from the field (8-of-25 from three) to Pitt’s 48 percent (8-of-19 from three).

Down 31-27 at the half, the Jackets outscored the Panthers 16-6 to open the second period and opened a 43-37 lead at the 12:54 mark, its largest of the game. Guillermo Diaz Graham, however, knocked down a three-point basket to spark a 9-0 Pitt spurt, and the Panthers outscored Tech 22-7 over the next eight minutes to take control of the game.

Tech was led by Baye Ndongo, who finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. Kyle Sturdivant (14) and Kowacie Reeves (15) also finished in double figures, as did Naithan George (10).

Carlton Carrington, who finished with 19 points, led four Panthers in double digits.

Georgia Tech heads back out on the road for a trip to Virginia Tech on Jan. 27. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. on ACC Network.

Baye Ndongo (11) had team highs of 17 points and eight rebounds for the Jackets. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

Post-Game Notes

TEAM NOTES

• Fourteen of Tech’s 19 games this season have been decided by 10 points or fewer, eight of those by five points or fewer. Five of Tech’s six ACC losses have come by single digits, and the fifth was 11 points.
• Tech is 4-6 against Quad 1 and Quad 2 teams this season. The Jackets’ remaining ACC schedule has five Quad 1 and five Quad 2 opponents. Tech was 3-14 last season against Quad 1/2 foes.
• Tech is 17-of-52 from three-point range (32.7 percent) in its last two games after hitting 10 or more in four straight games (39.7 percent). The Jackets had nine against Pitt, their fifth game with under 10 this season.
• Tech has shot under 40 percent in seven games this season, just two of those (Notre Dame, Pitt) in ACC play.
• Tech has averaged 10.7 turnovers over its last eight games, after averaging more than 19 in the three games prior and 14 over the first 10 games of the season.
• Tech has four players averaging double digits in ACC games – Baye Ndongo (15.5), Miles Kelly (13.9 ppg), Kowacie Reeves, Jr. (12.9) and Naithan George (10.5).
• Miles Kelly and Kowacie Reeves, Jr., are the only Tech players to start every game this season.
• Deebo Coleman and Kyle Sturdivant have not started a game this year, but have been on the floor for 14 and 12, respectively, of Tech’s games at the finish.
• At least nine players have seen the court in 18 of Tech’s first 19 games (only eight played against Hawai’i). Eight players average more than 12 minutes per game in ACC games.

PLAYER NOTES

• Freshman forward Baye Ndongo has scored in double digits in Tech’s last 11 games, averaging 15.4 points and 9.3 rebounds, and has hit on 67.6 percent of his field goals (71-of-105).
• Ndongo made 7-of-12 shots from the floor against Pitt and is converting at a 62.7-percent rate in ACC games, 61.0 percent for the season. He ranks No. 2 nationally among freshmen in field goal percentage.
• Ndongo is now Tech’s scoring leader in ACC games at 15.5 points per game.
• Freshman point guard Naithan George reached double digits in points in four straight games (17 at Duke, 20 at Clemson, 15 vs. Virginia, 10 vs. Pitt). George has averaged 15.5 points over that stretch, hitting 21-of-42 from the floor, 10-of-27 from three-point range. He also has 24 assists against six turnovers in those four games.
• Kowacie Reeves, Jr., has hit 49.3-percent of his shots from the floor and a team-best 47.7 percent from three-point range in ACC games. He shot just 19 percent from three-point range in SEC games last year at Florida.
• Kyle Sturdivant has reached double figures off the bench in seven games this season, three in ACC play (Boston College, Clemson, Pittsburgh)
• Sturdivant has 21 assists and five turnovers in his last five games, and has a 56/26 (2.15-to-1) ratio for the season, 25/7 vs. the ACC.
• George and Sturdivant have recorded 63 assists and just 16 turnovers combined in Tech’s last seven games, nearly a 4-to-1 ratio. For the season the point guard combo has a 2.45-to-1 ratio. In ACC games they have a 3.62-to-1 ratio.

Kyle Sturdivant (1) scored 14 points with three assists and no turnovers. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

Game Highlights

Post-Game Press Conference