Tech Hosts Alabama A&M in Final Non-Conference GameTech Hosts Alabama A&M in Final Non-Conference Game
Men's Basketball

Tech Hosts Alabama A&M in Final Non-Conference Game

Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs tip off at 2 p.m. EST Saturday at McCamish Pavilion

GEORGIA TECH (5-7, 0-2 ACC) vs. ALABAMA A&M (4-8, 0-0 SWAC)

 

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech closes out its non-conference schedule by hosting Alabama A&M at 2 p.m. Saturday at McCamish Pavilion.

Tech (5-7), which is 5-5 out of conference this season, is back in action for the first time since taking an 82-56 defeat to No. 5 Duke last Saturday at McCamish Pavilion. The Yellow Jackets are 5-4 at home this season with wins over West Georgia, Texas Southern, Charleston Southern, Central Arkansas and UMBC.

Alabama A&M (4-8) comes to Atlanta having lost its last five games, including a 97-90 decision at home to Samford last Saturday. The Bulldogs are 0-4 in road games this season, including a 95-43 loss at Georgia, their only common opponent with the Yellow Jackets.

Saturday’s game will be televised live on the ACC Network, with a live online stream available on the ESPN app. Radio coverage is on the Georgia Tech Sports Network by Legends Sports and flagship station 680 the Fan (680 AM/93.7 FM). The Tech broadcast is also available on Sirius XM channel 392 and the SiriusXM app.

 

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Lance Terry (0) remains Tech’s scoring leader at 14.8 points per game. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

THE TIP-OFF

  • Tech is in the midst of a six-game homestand that continues with ACC games against Notre Dame (Dec. 31) and Boston College (Jan. 4) before the Yellow Jackets travel again.
  • Tech is hosting its second member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference this season, having downed Texas Southern, 81-62, on Nov. 12.
  • Three Tech players are averaging in double-figure points through 12 games (Lance Terry 14.8 ppg, Baye Ndongo 13.0, Naithan George 10.4). Seven players are averaging more than 9 points per game.
  • Tech has used five different starting lineups in 12 games this season, most of them occurring as a result of injury. Tech played four games without starting guard Javian McCollum, who returned against Northwestern, and Kowacie Reeves, Jr., who has missed the Jackets’ last six games. Jaeden Mustaf missed 2 games, and Darrion Sutton missed 8 games.
  • Tech players have missed a total of 22 games this season because of injury. Kowacie Reeves, Jr., has missed the last 6 games with a foot injury. Luke O’Brien missed the Duke game, also with a foot injury, and Doryan Onwuchekwa has missed the last 2 for personal reasons.
  • As a result, only Baye Ndongo and Naithan George have started all 12 games this season and won the longest consecutive starts streaks for the Yellow Jackets – Ndongo 42, George 41.

SERIES NOTES VS. ALABAMA A&M

  • Georgia Tech has won all six prior meetings vs. Alabama A&M in a series that began in 1982.
  • All six meetings have taken place in Atlanta, the most recent on Dec. 9, 2023 at McCamish Pavilion, a 70-49 Tech victory.
  • The first three meetings took place in Alexander Memorial Coliseum two under head coach Bobby Cremins and one during Paul Hewitt’s tenure. The fourth meeting was played at The Arena at Gwinnett (now Gas South Arena) in 2011, while McCamish Pavilion was under construction.
  • Tech is 19-0 all-time against members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, and 54-2 against Division I HBCU programs. The Jackets have played, or at least scheduled, a team from either the MEAC or the Southwestern Athletic Conference every year since 2011-12.
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Naithan George (1) ranks No 2 in the ACC in assist average (5.8 apg) and No. 6 in assist/turnover ratio (2.69-1). (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

JACKETS FALL TO 0-2 IN ACC

Georgia Tech’s Baye Ndongo scored 14 points and Duncan Powell added a season-high 13, but No. 5 Duke pulled away in the second half to defeat the Yellow Jackets, 82-56, last Saturday afternoon at McCamish Pavilion.

Duke raced out a 15-point lead in the first half, but paced by five points from Ndongo and four from Powell, Georgia Tech closed the half on a 14-4 run and trailed just 41-36 at halftime.

However, the Yellow Jackets could not carry the momentum into the second half. Duke made five of its first six shots after the break and Tech missed 11-straight early in the period, which allowed the Blue Devils to extend their lead to 19 less than seven minutes after halftime. Tech, which shot just 25% from the field after halftime (7-of-28), couldn’t get closer than 16 the rest of the way.

Duke’s hot shooting (56% for the game), combined with the Jackets’ cold afternoon from the field (35%) and a large rebounding disparity (36-25 in favor of Duke), was the difference in the contest.

TECH BYTES

  • Tech’s last 2 opponents (UMBC, Duke) have combined to hit 54 percent of their shots from the floor (UMBC 51.7, Duke 56.4) and 40 percent from 3-point range (each team 10-of-25).
  • Senior guard Lance Terry has started Tech’s last 7 games, averaged 35.4 minutes and 16.4 points.
  • Baye Ndongo has scored in double digits in 9 of 12 games. He leads the Jackets and ranks No. 4 in the ACC in field goal percentage at 52.2%. Ndongo ranks 11th in rebound average (7.2 rpg).
  • Junior forward Duncan Powell scored a season-high 13 points against Duke, and has two double-digit games this season.
  • Graduate transfer Ryan Mutombo has played in Tech’s last three games (starting the last two), leading the Jackets in rebounds in each (6.9 rpg), after not playing the first nine.
  • Freshman guard Jaeden Mustaf has scored in double digits in five his last eight games after tallying 15 against UMBC. He has averaged 12.8 points per game over that stretch.
  • After starting the season 2-of-13 from the floor, Mustaf is 30-of-71 over his last seven games (42.3%).
  • Naithan George has scored in double digits 5 times in his last 8 games and is averaging 11.3 points per game over that stretch.
  • George has 46 assists and 15 turnovers in Tech’s last 7 games, and a 2.69 assist/turnover ratio for the season, which ranks 6th in the ACC. He is No. 2 in the ACC in assist average (5.8 per game). He has five games of seven or more assists this season.
  • Javian McCollum has averaged 4.7 points, 2.7 assists and 18.3 minutes in three games since his return from a concussion, which forced him to miss 4 games. He is 4-of-11 from the floor, 3-of-8 from 3-point range.
  • Freshman Darrion Sutton has played 11-plus minutes in each of Tech’s last 2 games (4 pts, 3 reb vs. UMBC). He missed 8 games with an injury before returning to the court against Northwestern Dec. 15.
  • Baye Ndongo has three double-doubles this season, nine for his career.
  • Tech has two 1,000-point career scorers on its team – Lance Terry with 1,070, and Javian McCollum with 1,068.
  • Terry has the most career starts in college among Tech’s players (65). McCollum is next with 62.
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Baye Ndongo (11) ranks in the ACC’s top 5 in field goal percentage (52.2%). (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

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 second season 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 Twitter (@GTMBB) and Instagram. For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com.