GEORGIA TECH (4-6, 0-1 ACC) vs. UMBC (7-5, 0-0 America East)
- Wednesday, December 18, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. EST | Atlanta, Ga. | McCamish Pavilion
- Live Stream: ACC Network Extra (Announcers: Wiley Ballard, Jon Babul)
- Radio: Georgia Tech Sports Network by Legends Sports (In Atlanta: 680 AM/93.7 The Fan)
- Announcers: Andy Demetra, Randy Waters
- Other ways to listen: SiriusXM Ch. 385 | SiriusXM app | Listen Online | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets App | TuneIn
He’s an athlete
📺 Big Ten Network pic.twitter.com/2h3oRz2wER
— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) December 15, 2024
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech returns home for the first time since Nov. 30 to play twice this week leading into the Christmas break, first hosting UMBC at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at McCamish Pavilion.
Tech (4-6) lost all three of its games away from home in the last two weeks, falling 76-60 at No. 21 Oklahoma, 68-65 at No. 20 North Carolina and 71-60 in a neutral-site game Sunday vs. Northwestern. The Yellow Jackets are 4-3 at home this season, winning the last two against Charleston Southern and Central Arkansas the week of Thanksgiving.
The Retrievers (7-5) have won four of their last five games, including the last two against Towson (84-71) and Cairn (103-57). UMBC is 1-2 in road games, the two losses coming to power conference teams Penn State (103-54) and Georgetown (86-62).
Wednesday’s game will be streamed live on the ACC Network Extra, 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 385 and the SiriusXM app.
Ryan Mutombo (12) played his first game of the season and blocked two shots to go with 10 points and 7 rebounds vs. Northwestern. (photo by Chris Kohley)
THE TIP-OFF
- The UMBC game begins a five-game homestand for Georgia Tech, which hosts No. 4 Duke Saturday before breaking for the holiday.
- Four Tech players are averaging in double-figure points through (Lance Terry 15.6, Baye Ndongo 12.5, Javian McCollum 11.2, Naithan George 10.3). Six are averaging more than 9 points per game.
- Tech has used four different starting lineups in nine games this season, all 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 four games. Jaeden Mustaf missed 2 games, and Darrion Sutton missed 8 games.
- In Tech’s last 5 games, Lance Terry has averaged 36.4 minutes, averaged 18.6 points (43.8% FG, 40.5% 3pt FG) with 18 total rebounds, 9 assists and 9 steals.
- Naithan George has 34 assists and 11 turnovers in Tech’s last 5 games, and a 58-to-22 assist/turnover ratio for the season. He leads the ACC in assist average (5.8 per game) and ranks 8th in assist/turnover ratio (2.64-1). He has five games of seven or more assists this season.
SERIES NOTES VS. UMBC
- Wednesday marks the first meeting between Georgia Tech and UMBC in basketball.
- Tech has faced Retrievers head coach Jim Ferry once previously, during his time as head coach at Duquesne. The Jackets downed the Dukes, 75-67, Dec. 10, 2015, at McCamish Pavilion.
Lance Terry (0) and Ryan Mutombo (12) combined for 27 of Tech’s 60 points vs. Northwestern. (photo by Chris Kohley)
JACKETS FINISH ROAD STRETCH WITH LOSS
Georgia Tech spotted Northwestern the first 11 points of the first half and the first seven points of the second half, battled back each time but lost, 71-60, to the Wildcats Sunday afternoon in the MKE Tip-off at the Fiserv Forum. Tech (4-6) lost its third straight game, all of them on the road.
Tech surrendered an 11-0 lead out of the gate, missing its first seven shots while committing four turnovers before Javian McCollum got the Yellow Jackets on the board with a 3-point field goal at the 13:40 mark. The Jackets recovered, limiting Northwestern to missing 12 of 14 shots at one point and shaved their deficit twice to three points before going into intermission trailing 31-26. But Northwestern scored the first seven points of the second half to again stretch its lead to double digits within the first three minutes. This time Tech did not recover, falling behind by as many as 22 points before trimming the deficit to the final 11 points.
Senior guard Lance Terry led the Jackets with 17 points, while graduate center Ryan Mutombo contributed 10 points and seven rebounds in his first action of the season, playing 22 minutes. Freshman guard Jaeden Mustaf added 11 points and six boards.
TECH BYTES
- Senior guard Lance Terry has reached double figures eight times in 10 games this season and 54 times in his career. He led the Jackets with 17 points at Northwestern.
- Freshman guard Jaeden Mustaf has scored in double digits in four of his last six games after tallying 11 against Northwestern.
- After starting the season 2-of-13 from the floor, Mustaf is 21-of-48 over his last six games (43.8%).
- Naithan George has grabbed 15 rebounds in Tech’s last 2 games, including a career-high 8 rebounds at North Carolina.
- Javian McCollum saw the court vs. Northwestern for the first time since Nov. 23 (concussion). He played 23 minutes and scored one field goal, a 3-pointer which gave him at least one in all six games he has played this season.
- Graduate center Ryan Mutombo, a transfer from Georgetown, saw his first action of the season, delivering 10 points (5-8 FG), seven rebounds and two blocked shots in a career-high 23 minutes.
- Freshman forward Darrion Sutton played three minutes vs. Northwestern, his first action since Tech’s season opener against West Georgia. He missed 8 games with an injury.
- Baye Ndongo has three double-doubles this season, nine for his career, after scoring 19 points and grabbing 12 rebounds At North Carolina.
- Ndongo has scored in double digits in seven of 10 games. He leads the Jackets and ranks No. 2 in the ACC in field goal percentage at 52.8%. Ndongo also ranks 8th in rebound average (7.6 rpg).
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.
