Georgia Tech dominated early, held off a late Stanford rally, and shut down NBA prospect Maxime Raynaud to secure a wire-to-wire 60-52 victory.
Georgia Tech delivered a dominant performance Wednesday night, never trailing in a 60-52 win over Stanford at McCamish Pavilion. Despite missing key players Lance Terry and Javian McCollum, the Yellow Jackets controlled the game from the outset and weathered a late push from the Cardinal to secure the victory. Notably, the win was also Damon Stoudamire’s first-ever against Stanford head coach Kyle Smith, snapping an 0-6 record.
Tech came out firing, holding Stanford to just 20% shooting in the first half and building a commanding 35-20 lead at the break. Nait George led the way with 22 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, including a crucial midrange jumper late in the game to stop a Stanford run. He followed that up by finding Ibrahim Souare for a thunderous dunk that helped quell the momentum.
Baye Ndongo was a force once again, finishing with 15 points, 16 rebounds, and a +15 plus/minus. Foul trouble remains a concern for the sophomore, as he picked up his fourth with 7:59 left, but Tech managed to hold on. Duncan Powell hit a three for the ninth straight game but struggled overall, shooting 2-for-10 from the field.
Stanford entered the game at 16-8 (8-5 ACC) and looking to bolster their NCAA Tournament hopes, but the Jackets made life difficult for them all night. Stanford shot 20-for-66 from the field (30%) and struggled from deep, going just 5-for-27 on three-pointers. Tech’s defensive intensity set the tone early, and despite some shaky moments in the second half, the Jackets never let Stanford take control.
The Jackets’ defense made life miserable for 7’1” NBA prospect Maxime Raynaud. With 27 NBA scouts in attendance, Tech held Raynaud to just 8 points on 4-of-13 shooting while limiting him to six rebounds. The Jackets also did a stellar job keeping Stanford off the free throw line, a key factor in the win. The Cardinal, one of the nation’s best free-throw shooting teams, only attempted seven on the night—though they made all of them.
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While Tech led by as many as 20, second-half turnovers allowed Stanford to creep back into the game. The Jackets committed 10 turnovers after halftime, which fueled Stanford’s late push.
Darrion Sutton made his first career start, and Tech once again relied heavily on a short rotation, with only six players seeing significant minutes (Ryan Mutombo played just three minutes).
One more fun note: Georgia Tech is now 3-1 since head coach Damon Stoudamire started rocking a blazer on the sidelines. Maybe it’s a coincidence, maybe it’s a secret weapon—but at this point, why mess with the magic?
The Jackets will look to keep rolling when Cal comes to Atlanta for a 4 p.m. tip on Saturday.