Georgia Tech Falls To Virginia 75-61; Instant Takeaways From Yellow Jackets 13th loss

The second half struggles from the field and on the glass sink the Yellow Jackets chance of reaching .500

Najeh Wilkins | Feb 8, 2025

Feb 8, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Naithan George (1) controls the ball as Virginia Cavaliers guard Dai Dai Ames (7) and Cavaliers guard Isaac McKneely (11) defend during the first half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images / Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech falls on the road to Virginia and drops to 5-8 in ACC play after a loss to the Cavaliers. It is now the 13th loss consecutive loss to the Cavaliers and the 11th straight at John Paul Jones Arena. The Yellow Jackets had a productive first half shooting 7-11 from three-point range and only trailed by five points after Nait George's buzzer-beating three-pointer. The second half was a different story as Virginia Tech took full control of the game, never letting the Yellow Jackets get within single digits after a 10-0 run. Here are some key takeaways from the Yellow Jackets loss.

FINAL: UVA 75, GT 61
— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) February 9, 2025

Georgia Tech dominated on the glass- This problem was apparent in the second half for the Yellow Jackets as Virginia dominated the glass. When the Yellow Jackets were able to get stops, they couldn’t clean the glass which led to 13 offensive rebounds for the Cavaliers and 16 second-chance points. The Cavaliers had an advantage on the glass, rebounding Georgia Tech 38-24. Blake Buchanan gave the Yellow Jackets fits on the glass finishing with 11 rebounds (five offensive) that led to open shots and easy buckets for the Cavaliers.

Yellow Jackets scoring drought and second-half scoring- Georgia Tech went on a 3:50 scoring drought not being hit a basket which allowed Virginia to take full control of the game. This resulted in a 10-0 run for the Cavaliers as they extended their lead to double-digits, never giving the lead back to the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech struggled from the floor in the second half after red-hot first-half shooting. The Yellow Jackets shot 11-24 from the field and 1-7 from three-point range. In the second half, Georgia Tech struggled to get clean looks and a lot of the time gave up good shots to take contested shots in the paint. Ndongo was the most effective scorer in the second half finishing with eight points on 4-6 shooting. Ndongo finished with 15 points.

Nait George and Duncan Powell combine for 38 points- George has been on a tear lately for the Yellow Jackets and has scored 20 points in three of his last four games. He was once again one of the most reliable scorers for the Yellow Jackets finishing with a team-high. He also was efficient from three-point range making five of his nine attempts. George also finished with six rebounds and five assists. Powell also carried his game on the road for Georgia Tech finishing with 18 points on 7-12 shooting from the field. He did a lot of his damage in the first half, scoring 10 of his 18 points and going 3-3 from deep to keep the Yellow Jackets within striking distance.

Nait's got 1️⃣5️⃣ at the break (4-6 3PT)#StingEm 🐝 pic.twitter.com/vakKmCmWwK
— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) February 8, 2025

Lance Terry Struggles Mightily - Not a typical night you see from Yellow Jackets leading scorer Lance Terry but he was a non-factor on Saturday. It was his worst game of the season as he went 0-4 from the field. Granted, Terry was dealing with a hand/wrist injury which affected his ability to shoot the ball. Ndongo, George, and Powell were the only scorers in double figures for the Yellow Jackets on Saturday night. The Yellow Jackets definitely missed his contributions especially with so many players out due to injury. Terry’s injury will be one to monitor for Georgia Tech moving forward.

Georgia Tech free throw line struggles continue- The free throw problem is beginning to loom large for the Yellow Jackets and an area they must fix. On Saturday night against Virginia they shot 3-7. I know it was only seven shots but it has been a problem this season for the Yellow Jackets as they rank near the bottom of the ACC in free throw percentage. If the Yellow Jackets want to make the ACC tournament, this is an area they must fix if they want to have a chance.

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