Slow start drops Tech to 2-2
The 200th hardwood edition of Clean Old Fashioned Hate offered the Jackets a chance to build a winning streak following a home win over Texas Southern. Tech entered the game at 2-1, while Georgia carried an unblemished record into the matchup in McCamish Arena. Tech continued a string of home matchups in non-conference play with the rivalry tilt and could not overcome a poor shooting first half in a 77-69 loss.
Tech struggled from the floor in the first half, shooting just over 20 percent and sinking one of their nine threes, and had to overcome a Bulldog team that maintained a positive rebound margin and thrived in transition and iso-ball with only two assists in the half. Ndongo flirted with foul trouble, picking up his third foul late in the half, though he maintained a clean second half to avoid any extended stretches on the bench.
The second half yielded more offense, with both teams far outstripping their first half pace. Senior guards Lance Terry and Javian McCollum recorded double digit scoring in the half, with Terry leading the charge with 20 after the break. Ndongo only got two shots up, but took advantage of his opportunities at the line, sinking all six of his free throws in the half.
How it happened
The first half opened slowly for both squads, with a 5-2 Tech lead just before five minutes into the half. The Bulldogs took advantage of a cold shooting stretch from the Jackets and opened a six-point lead with an 11-2 run before two straight makes from sophomore Naithan George cut the lead to two.
Georgia mounted another 11-2 run, stretching the lead to 11 late in the half, before Tech held the Bulldogs to two points in the final four minutes of the half to enter the break down 27-19. Tech did not allow a three-pointer from their rivals during the entire first half. Sophomore forward Baye Ndongo led the Jackets with six points while freshman center Doryan Onwuchekwa led Tech with five rebounds and a pair of assists.
Tech mounted a comeback in the early action of the frame, taking a 34-33 lead on a three pointer by Onwuchekwa to cap a 9-2 run by Tech. The rivals traded baskets until a 39-36 Jacket lead was followed by a game-defining 14-0 Georgia run. Tech would pull the lead within six at points in the frame, but ultimately could not overcome the Bulldog run.
The second half featured relative scoring outbursts by both teams, with the 50 points scored by each team more than the 46 scored combined in the first half. Georgia’s Silas Demary Jr. led the team with 14 points after the break and 18 overall. Following the big Bulldog run, both teams scored at a steeper rate as the game sped up with late free throws and increased pace.
While Tech’s offense came together better in the second half, a tepid shooting first half proved too much to overcome. The Jackets lost the rebounding battle and lost two players to foul trouble, and the five minute stretch in the second half that turned a Tech lead into a double digit deficit was a large gap to bridge on a night where the team sank less than 30% of their threes.
Overall stats and trends
Terry led the team in scoring with 20, while Onwuchekwa pulled down 11 rebounds. Ndongo and McCollum recorded double digit points, while the team as a whole shot 36% from the field and 26% from three. The Jackets held Georgia to 3-18 from three but were gashed in the paint, where the Bulldogs held an 18 point edge.
Foul trouble plagued Tech in the second half, with Ndongo forced to play a more conservative game after picking up three in the first. Both McCollum and senior forward Luke O’Brien fouled out when forcing free throws in the final minutes of the game, and every Jacket who saw the floor picked up at least two fouls.
Postgame, Georgia coach Mike White praised the atmosphere in McCamish, where more than six thousand fans gathered. Tech coach Damon Stoudamire said that he “thought [they] had crossed a bridge when [they] took a lead” but that “a lot of times [they] were [their] own worst enemy.” Ndongo praised Onwuchekwa, saying “he’s one of my favorite players.”
Next up
Tech falls to 2-2 on the season, with a matchup against No. 17 Cincinnati at home up next. The Jackets have a chance to rebound against a tough Bearcat team and avenge a road loss last season. Stoudamire’s squad will look to rebuild a winning record before entering ACC play next month.