Instant Takeaways From Georgia Tech Basketball's Win Over Miami

Georgia Tech clinched a first round bye in the ACC tournament after a dominant 89-74 victory over Miami. The Yellow Jackets dominated several categories in the win including three-point range, the free throw line, second-chance points, and rebounding. The Yellow Jackets were red-hot from the three-point line going 10-23 from beyond the arc. At one point in the game, the Yellow Jackets made 12 consecutive buckets and started the second half 5-5 from three-point range. It allowed them to build their double-digit lead, leaving the Hurricanes with no answers. Georgia Tech is now 13-5 at home and has won seven of their last nine games. Here are some takeaways from the win.

1. Lance Terry catches fire on senior night setting a career-high with 31 points- In the first half, Terry had several memorable plays on his senior night with the Yellow Jackets. One was a one-handed slam on the fastbreak he received from Nait George on the assist. The other was knocking down threes on back-to-back possessions. He finished with 15 points on 6-7 shooting in the first half. He continued his scorching play from three-point range, especially in the second starting 3-3 from three-point range. Terry also made a nice move on a defender in the second half with an elite in-and-out dribble that completely stunned his defender and allowed him to maneuver around him for an easy bucket at the rim. It didn’t matter what Terry tried on Tuesday night, it was all working. This senior night meant a lot to him and he showed how capable of a scorer he can be when he gets in a rhythm. Not a bad way to finish your final home college basketball game setting a new career-high.

2. Georgia Tech dominated the glass as expected- It was an absolute mismatch for the Hurricanes on the glass especially in the first half. The Yellow Jackets finished with a 27-14 advantage on the glass and took full advantage of the interior. Georgia Tech was also dominant in the paint finishing with a 26-12 advantage in the half. Sometimes it comes down to effort and you could tell throughout the game, the Yellow Jackets wanted it more. Georgia Tech finished with a 41-26 advantage on the glass. Miami had just 13 defensive rebounds in the entire game. Just a dominating performance from the Yellow Jackets on Tuesday night.

3. Baye Ndongo continues his impressive stretch of play- The Hurricanes had no answers for Ndongo on Tuesday night. Even when the Yellow Jackets did miss shots, Ndongo was active on the glass keeping opportunities available helping lead to 20 second chance points for the Yellow Jackets more than double what Miami had. In the first half, Ndongo finished with 12 points and six rebounds. He continued to stay active on the glass and rebounded the basketball at a high level pushing. Ndongo finished with 22 points and eight rebounds on 10-15 shooting from the field.

4. Atlanta native Matthew Cleveland did all he could to keep Miami in the game- Miami is not a good team this year, but that doesn’t mean Cleveland was going to let that stop his homecoming. He was tough to slow down finishing with 29 points on 11-19 shooting. He also was scorching hot from long range going 3-4 from beyond the arc. He went to Pace Academy here in Atlanta where he made a name for himself and was a five-star prospect who enrolled at Florida State. He transferred to Miami in 2023 and has been there ever since. He made his name with the ability to score in bunches and heat up like a microwave. The Yellow Jackets got a good taste of that from the senior but Cleveland couldn’t overcome the scoring prowess of the Yellow Jackets.

5. Georgia Tech leaning on different players every night- The mark of a good team is your ability to have others step up and contribute on any given night. During this recent stretch for the Yellow Jackets, it’s been Ndongo stepping up, Duncan Powell continuing to hit big shots and display effort on both ends of the floor, Nait George's five-game scoring binge where he carried the load offensively, or even Lance Terry having a career night tonight. Even though it has largely been a seven-game lineup for most of the season, Georgia Tech has done a great job of allowing whoever has the hot hand to do their thing and feed off them. Georgia Tech had four players finish in double-figures in the win against Miami. Nait George finished with a double-double scoring 10 points and dishing out 11 assists. Powell had 16 points and seven rebounds.

6. Georgia Tech hopes for a No. 7 seed- When it is March anything can happen, and the Yellow Jackets have an opportunity to make some noise in the ACC tournament. They needed help but took care of the first part of the equation by defeating Miami. Now they have to defeat Wake Forest on Saturday and hope Stanford loses its next two games. So you may wonder why this matters. Georgia Tech would be a No. 7 seed with an easier path to the ACC title game playing two teams they’ve beaten potentially in Clemson and Louisville instead of Duke in the quarterfinals. Duke is one of the best teams in the country and a national title contender.

Additional Links

Georgia Tech Basketball Clinches First-Round Bye in ACC Tournament With Win Over Miami

Georgia Tech Defeats Kennesaw State 11-4 In Midweek Matchup To Win Fifth Straight Game Ahead of ACC Play

NCAA Women's Basketball Bracketology Update: Where is Georgia Tech Heading Into Conference Tournament Week?