THE FLATS – A well-balanced offense and strong team defense provided Georgia Tech men’s basketball (2-1) with its second victory of the season as the Yellow Jackets took down Texas Southern (1-3), 81-62, on Tuesday evening inside McCamish Pavilion.
The Yellow Jackets made 26 free throws, the most in a regulation game in five seasons, to capture the mid-week win.
For the second straight game, five different Yellow Jackets finished in double-figures, led by 19 from Baye Ndongo, who recorded his eighth-career double-double and second in as many games (19 points and 11 rebounds). Naithan George was up to his usual tricks, finishing with a season high 16 points to go along with six assists, three boards and a steal. Kowacie Reeves Jr. filled the stat sheet, making 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal, while Javian McCollum (14) and Lance Terry (13) rounded out the Jackets in double-figures.
George made his presence felt from the jump, assisting or scoring on four of the Jackets’ first six field goals to help Tech jump in front, 17-11. The Jackets pulled away from there, going on a 10-0 run to get the lead into double-digits (30-17) before ending the half on a 19-4 run to take a 24-point lead into the break, 49-25. Doryan Onwuchekwa was the defensive catalyst throughout the late scoring run, making blocks on back-to-back defensive possessions before George drilled his second three of the half in the dying seconds to bring Tech to 49 points after the opening 20 minutes.
The Yellow Jackets took advantage of their many opportunities from the free-throw line, connecting on 14 of 18 chances from the charity stripe in the first half, including an impressive seven of eight (87.5 percent) from George alone. That, along with a steady barrage of threes established a lead that Texas Southern couldn’t contest with as Tech rolled throughout the second half.
The Jackets led by as many as 30 points in the second half, cementing the victory with five made free throws, all courtesy of Ndongo, who finished the game with a career-best eight made free-throws.
Georgia Tech will look to maintain its winning momentum into the weekend when it hosts arch-rival Georgia inside McCamish Pavilion on Friday, Nov. 15, at 8 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.
Kowacie Reeves, Jr., dunked for his first field goal and finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. (photo by Danny Karnik)
POST-GAME NOTES
- Tech has scored 80-plus points in each of its first three games. The Yellow Jackets haven’t scored 80 or more in three straight games since last in the 2007-08 season (80 vs. Clemson, 86 vs. Boston College, 94 vs. Virginia).
- Tech has averaged 10.3 three-point field goals made and 30.6 three-pointers attempted through three games. The Jackets averaged 7.9 made threes and 24.8 attempts last season, attempting a school-record 780 threes.
- Tech has connected on 10 or more threes in a game 10 times under Damon Stoudamire, including each of the Jackets’ last two games.
- Tech has a 56-to-36 assist/turnover ratio through three games, averaging 18.6 assists per game on 30.6 field goals made (60.8 percent).
- Tech made 26 of 34 free throws against Texas Southern, both high marks for the Jackets under Damon Stoudamire. Previous highs were 19 made vs. Clemson (2/21/2024) and 27 attempted vs. Georgia Southern (11/6/2023) and Howard (11/9/2023).
- Five Tech players scored in double digits in each of Tech’s last two games.
- Baye Ndongo has notched a double-double in each of his last two games (20/10 vs. North Florida, 19/11 vs. Texas Southern) and has eight for his career. He has reached double-digits in points 22 times as a Yellow Jacket and double digits in rebounds 10 times.
- Naithan George has reached double-figure points 13 times at Tech (16 vs. Texas Southern). He matched his career free throw highs, hitting 8-of-10 from the stripe (also hit 8-of-10 vs. North Carolina 1/30/2024)
- George has 20 assists against four turnovers in three games, at least six assists in each game. He has dealt six assists or more 13 times in his career. His career high in assists is 11 vs. Notre Dame, Jan. 9, 2024.
- Lance Terry added 13 off the bench against TSU, his 15th double-figure game as a Yellow Jacket, 48th of his career.
- Javian McCollum has scored in double figures 48 times in his career. He had 14 points and five rebounds against Texas Southern.
- McCollum has hit at least one three-pointer in 50 of 60 games dating back to the beginning of his sophomore year.
- Kowacie Reeves, Jr., has posted 16 double-digit scoring games as a Yellow Jacket (including all three this season), 35 for his career, after scoring 15 points with seven rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots against Texas Southern.
- Reeves, Jr., has started all 35 games Tech has played with him on the team.
- Freshman center Doryan Onwuchekwa made his first collegiate start, didn’t score but had nine rebounds and two blocked shots.
