Powell Powers Jackets to Triumph over Virginia Tech

THE FLATS – Making only his second start as a Yellow Jacket, redshirt junior Duncan Powell scored a career-high 23 points to help lift Georgia Tech men’s basketball to a 71-64 win over Virginia Tech on Wednesday evening at McCamish Pavilion.

Powell’s career-best 23 points came on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. He topped his previous career high of 21 points, set in a win over Notre Dame on New Year’s Eve. Before coming to Tech this season, he had only reached the 20-point plateau twice in his career – 20 vs. Northern Arizona last season at Sacramento State and 20 vs. College of Charleston as a redshirt freshman at North Carolina A&T in 2023.

Eight of Powell’s 23 points came in the first 3:02 of the game, as he hit two 3-pointers and a jumper to help the Jackets race out to an early 13-4 lead. From there, Tech never trailed by more than two points and took the lead for good with a 10-2 run in the second half, which turned a 45-43 deficit into a 53-47 lead with just under 12 minutes to play.

Powell’s 23 points led four Yellow Jackets in double-figures, as Javian McCollum scored 16, Baye Ndongo added 14 and Naithan George chipped in with 11 for Tech, which saw its five starters all play at least 32 minutes. Missing four injured players that have combined to make 32 starts this season (Lance Terry, Jaeden Mustaf, Kowacie Reeves Jr. and Luke O’Brien), only seven Jackets saw action on Wednesday, with the two subs contributing just 14 minutes off the bench.

Ndongo led all players with nine rebounds and George dished out a game-high seven assists for Georgia Tech (9-11, 3-6 ACC), which snapped a four-game skid with the win.

Tyler Johnson scored 14 points to lead Virginia Tech (8-11, 3-5 ACC).

Georgia Tech will look to build on Wednesday’s impressive win when it travels to Notre Dame next Tuesday (Jan. 28) for a 9 p.m. tipoff. The game will be televised nationally on ACC Network.

Duncan Powell scored a career-high 23 points in Wednesday’s win over Virginia Tech. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

POST-GAME NOTES

• Georgia Tech assisted on its first 10 made field goals against Virginia Tech and finished the game with 18 on 24 made field goals.
• Tech’s 47.1% clip from the floor against Virginia Tech was its highest since its last ACC win Jan. 4 vs. Boston College (58.5%).
• Tech has played 7, 6 and 7 players in its last three games. The Jackets had played 8 or more in every game prior to Clemson, 9 or more in 11 games.
• All five starters for Tech played at least 31 minutes against Virginia Tech, and Duncan Powell became the first Yellow Jacket to play the full 40 minutes under Damon Stoudamire.
• Tech has attempted 44 more free throws than its opponents in ACC play. The Yellow Jackets have finished a season with more free throw attempts than their opponents since the 2016-17 season, and only once since 2000.
• Junior forward Duncan Powell has averaged 14.1 points and 6.1 rebounds over his last 7 games, including three games of 20 points or more. His 23 points vs. Virginia Tech was a career high. The Sacramento State transfer has hit 45.5% (35-of-77) from the floor, 42.9% (15-of-35) from three-point range and 70.3% (26-of-37) from the foul line in that stretch.
• Sophomore guard Naithan George has scored in double digits in 7 straight games, averaging 11.3 points per game, and has averaged 6.6 assists over the same stretch.
• Senior guard Javian McCollum has averaged 16.5 points over his last 8 games, scoring 20 in four of those games. He has connected on 44.7% (43-for-101) from the floor, 39.4% (14-of-40) from three-point range and 28-of-31 from the free throw line. Added 32 assists and 13 steals.
• Sophomore forward Baye Ndongo has 14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals against Virginia Tech. He came up one rebound short of a double-double for the third time this season (he has four double-doubles this season).

Baye Ndongo dunks home two of his 14 points in Wednesday’s win over Virginia Tech. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

 

 

POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO