Tech Comes Up Short at Virginia

Charlottesville, Va. – Naithan George scored 20 points for the second straight game, but Georgia Tech was unable to slow down Virginia’s efficiency on offense as the Cavaliers pulled away in the second half for a 75-61 victory over the Yellow Jackets Saturday at John Paul Jones Arena.

Virginia (12-12, 5-8 ACC) bolted to a 9-0 lead out of the gate with three three-pointers, but Tech (11-13, 5-8 ACC) overcame that to go ahead 24-21 with nine minutes to go in the half. The teams went back and forth before George’s step-back three at the buzzer got the visitors within 41-36 at the half.

Tech was cold coming out of the half and looked like the weary-legged team that is missing four key members of the rotation due to injury. The Jackets missed four of their first five shots, and the Cavaliers used a 10-0 run to take control of the game and lead 51-38 at the 15:41 mark. Dai Dai Ames scored 14 of his 18 points as the home team methodically built its lead to as many as 17 points.

The Jackets made just 1-of-7 from three-point range in the second half and scored just 25 points, while Virginia pulled eight down offensive rebounds and scored 10 points on second chances while adding five three-point baskets.

George had five assists to go with his 20 points, while Duncan Powell scored 18 and Baye Ndongo added 15 for the Yellow Jackets.

Isaac McKneely scored 18 of his team-high 20 points in the first half to help Virginia get off to its fast start. Andrew Rohde was the third Cavalier in double figures, scoring 11 points with nine assists and no turnovers.

Tech returns to action Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. EST when it hosts Stanford at McCamish Pavilion. The game will be televised live on the ACC Network.

 

Naithan George (1) scored 20 points to lead Tech, and has 48 in the Jackets’ last two games. (photo by Keith Lucas)

 

POST-GAME NOTES

• Tech has utilized 8 different starting lineups through its first 24 games this season, all because of injury. An injury to Javian McCollum at Clemson prompted the Jackets to send out a new first five at Virginia, with Duncan Powell back in the starting lineup for the third time.
• Sophomores Baye Ndongo and Naithan George are the only Yellow Jackets to have appeared in every game this season, and also the only ones to start every game this season. No one else has started more than 16. Ndongo has started 53 consecutive games, George 52, dating back to last season.
• Tech rotation players have missed a total of 46 games this season because of injury or illness. Kowacie Reeves, Jr., has missed the last 18 games (foot injury), Luke O’Brien missed the last 13 games (toe injury), Jaeden Mustaf has missed the last 6 (foot) and Lance Terry has missed 2 of the last 6 (hand/illness). Javian McCollum missed 4 games earlier in December with a concussion, and missed the Virginia game Saturday due to a head injury.
• Reeves, Jr., has not played in an ACC game this season, while O’Brien has played in only one.
• Tech has played 6 or 7 players in its last seven games (starting with the 1/14 game vs. Clemson), one exception being 8 on 2/4 at Clemson as Ryan Mutombo and Darrion Sutton saw rare minutes. The Jackets had played 8 or more in every game prior to the first Clemson meeting, 9 or more in 11 games.
• Tech has shot 45.9% from the floor in its last 4 games (47.1% vs. Virginia Tech, 49.1% at Notre Dame, 47.6 vs. Louisville, 42.2% at Clemson, 45.8% at Virginia). The Jackets had connected on an aggregate 40.2% during their 4-game losing streak before the win over Virginia Tech.
• Tech has exceeded a point per possession in each of its last six games (1.080 vs. Florida State, 1.067 vs. Virginia Tech, 1.090 at Notre Dame, 1.076 vs. Louisville, 104.8 at Clemson, 103.7 at Virginia) after falling below that standard in three straight games. Tech’s efficiency ratings at FSU, Notre Dame, Clemson and Virginia are its highest in road games this season. The Jackets are 11-4 this season when scoring more than a point per permission.
• Five Yellow Jackets have averages in double-digits for ACC games – Lance Terry (14.2), Duncan Powell (13.9), Naithan George (13.7), Javian McCollum (12.9) and Baye Ndongo (11.9).
• Sophomore guard Naithan George has scored in double digits in 11 straight games, and 20-plus in his last two, after tallying 20 points at Virginia. George is averaging 14.9 points and 6.5 assists over that stretch. He has shot 44.9% (62-of-138) from the floor, 33.9% (21-of-62) from 3-point range, and 68% (17-of-25) from the foul line, during that stretch.
• Prior to this 11-game string of double-digit games, George had scored 10 or more points in 6 of his first 13 games this season.
• Junior forward Duncan Powell has averaged 15.0 points and 5.5 rebounds over his last 11 games, including three games of 20 points or more. The Sacramento State transfer has hit 44.2% (57-of-129) from the floor, 40% (24-of-60) from three-point range and 69.2% (36-of-52) from the foul line in that stretch.
• Powell had just three double-digit scoring games among his first 12 this season, 9 in his last 11.
• Freshman Darrion Sutton, pressed into service at Virginia with Tech’s injury situation, played a season-high 22:56 at Virginia and scored 4 points with 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Sutton, who has played in eight games this season, had seen action in just two games, for a total of nine minutes, since Dec. 28.

Baye Ndongo (11) scored 13 points with five rebounds. (photo by Keith Lucas)

 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE AUDIO