CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Duncan Powell scored 21 points, Baye Ndongo registered his ninth double-double in the last 11 games and Naithan George nearly recorded a triple-double, leading 8th-seeded Georgia Tech to a 66-60 win over No. 9 seed Virginia in the second round of the 2025 T. Rowe Price ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Spectrum Center.
With the win, Georgia Tech (17-15) advances to the ACC quarterfinals for the first time since its run to the 2021 tournament title, where it will face the field’s No. 1 seed and the nation’s top-ranked team, Duke (28-3). The round-of-eight matchup between the Yellow Jackets and Blue Devils will tip off at noon on Thursday and be televised nationally on ESPN.
Not only did Tech march into the ACC quarterfinals for the first time in four years, but it also overcame longtime nemesis Virginia to do it. The win was the Yellow Jackets’ first over UVA since Jan. 9, 2016, snapping a nine-year, 13-game losing skid against the Cavaliers.
After falling behind by as many as seven points in the first half, Georgia Tech closed the opening period on a 13-6 run to pull even at halftime (25-25) and never trailed after the break. The Jackets saw a 13-point lead dwindle to two in the closing minute, but George made a pair of free throws, forced a turnover on the other end, then made two more free throws to seal the victory.
Making his ACC Tournament debut, Powell’s 21 points came on 9-of-14 shooting, including a 9-of-12 effort from inside the 3-point arc, as the Jackets held a commanding 40-24 advantage on points in the paint and a 13-4 edge on second-chance points. Ndongo contributed to Tech’s dominance inside with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 10 rebounds, good for his 13th double-double of the season. George was the catalyst from the point guard position, amassing 13 points, a career-high 10 rebounds and a game-high eight assists.
In all, Powell, Ndongo and George combined to tally 50 of Georgia Tech’s 66 points, 23 of its 44 rebounds and nine of its 10 assists.
Issac McKneely led all scorers with 27 points for Virginia (15-18).
Baye Ndongo recorded his 10th double-double in 12 games with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the Yellow Jackets’ ACC Tournament win over Virginia. (photo by Keith Lucas)
POST-GAME NOTES
- Georgia Tech and Duke last met in the ACC Tournament in the championship game of the 2010 tournament in Greensboro, N.C. The Blue Devils won 65-61. Tech is 3-7 against the Blue Devils in the tournament, last defeating them in the opening round on the way to the championship of the 1993 event at the old Charlotte Coliseum.
- Tech utilized its 10th different starting lineup this season, with freshman Jaeden Mustaf making his first start since Jan. 11 and his 8th of the season.
- Tech won its first ACC Tournament game since its run to the 2021 championship and is now 30-40 all-time. Tech also is 9-8 in tournament games played in Charlotte, 2-2 in the Spectrum Center and 1-4 as a No. 8 seed.
- Tech’s 17 wins matches the most for the program in a season since 2015-16, when the Yellow Jackets went 21-15 (Tech also won 21 games in 2016-17 though all those wins were vacated by the NCAA). Tech won 17 games in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
- Tech has set an all-time record for most 20-point games in one season, having recorded 28 this season (9 by Lance Terry, 6 by Duncan Powell, 5 by Naithan George, 4 by Baye Ndongo, 4 by Javian McCollum). It beat the 27 recorded by the 2020-21 team which had ACC Player of the Year Moses Wright (10), Jose Alvarado (8), Michael Devoe (8) and Jordan Usher (1).
- For the first time in an ACC Tournament game, two Georgia Tech players posted double-doubles – Baye Ndongo had 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Naithan George had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
- Tech outrebounded Virginia, 44-26, a reversal of its performance on the boards Feb. 8 in Charlottesville, when the Cavaliers won the boards, 38-24. The Jackets had 13 second-chance points on 11 offensive rebounds.
- In Tech’s last three wins, it has outscored its opponent in the paint by 39 to 26.5 on average and 75 to 20 total on second-chance points.
- Baye Ndongo has 7 double-doubles in Tech’s last 8 games (16 points, 10 rebounds vs. Virginia), 9 in Tech’s last 11 games, 13 total this season. He has scored 20 points with 10 rebounds 3 times this season and 4 in his career.
- Naithan George grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds and notched his first career double-double in points and rebounds (13 and 10 vs. Virginia). He has 5 career double-doubles in points and rebounds.
- George also had 8 assists against Virginia, leaving him 2 assists shy of a triple double, which would have been the first for a Yellow Jacket in a tournament game, and the seventh in program history.
- Duncan Powell has scored 20 or more points 6 times over his last 15 games dating back to Jan. 18 at Florida State. He has scored in double digits in 13 of those 15 games.
Naithan George nearly posted a triple-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in Wednesday’s win over UVA. (photo by Keith Lucas)
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
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.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and at www.ramblinwreck.com.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL
Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team is in its second year 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 X (@GTMBB) and Instagram. For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com. Tickets for men’s basketball can be reserved here.
