Key Takeaways From Georgia Tech 78-74 Win Over NC State On The Road

Georgia Tech survived against NC State on the road and picked up its first Quad 1 win of the season. Saturday was also the Yellow Jackets first road victory of the 2025-2026 season. It wasn’t pretty but it was a great response for the Yellow Jackets after a tough home loss against Pittsburgh earlier in the week. Let’s take a look at some key takeaways from the road victory in Raleigh, North Carolina.

1. Akai Fleming resurgence

Fleming was a big part of the Yellow Jackets turning the tide in the first half of the game after they started with four turnovers. He scored the ball at an efficient level and finished with 16 points on 5-11 shooting. He also drained two three pointers. More importantly Fleming was very good on the defensive end of the floor and did a great job rebounding the basketball. Georgia Tech badly needs another scorer outside of Kowacie Reeves and Lamar Washington. If Fleming can continue to play like he did Saturday, Georgia Tech may be a dangerous team.

2. Georgia Tech shuts down Darrion Williams

Williams is NC State best player and Georgia Tech made him take tough shots all game and never allowed him to get in a rhythm. He was virtually nonexistent and couldn’t buy a bucket for large stretches of the game. Williams finished with seven points on 2-11 shooting and was 1-6 from three point range. He also had two turnovers. After struggling to defend against Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech did a really good job of slowing down WIlliams and not letting him put his imprint on the game.

3. Kowacie Reeves comes alive in the second half

Reeves carried the Yellow Jackets in the second half and was efficient from the field going 5-8. He scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half after only having four points in the first 20 minutes. He did his damage from the three point line knocking down four three pointers. As the Yellow Jackets tried to get some separation, Reeves was the go to player on offense and the one they leaned on to lead them to victory. He showed his veteran presence and played and operated at a high level.

4. Georgia Tech struggles from free throw line

The Yellow Jackets were simply not good enough from the free-throw line in the game. They are fortunate that NC State couldn’t knock down shots at the end of the game. Georgia Tech missed its final four free throws. As a team, they shot 14-28 from the charity stripe. Lamar Washington was 3-9 from the free throw line and Jaeden Mustaf was 0-5. Kowacie Reeves also had his struggles and went 5-8 from the line. The best free throw shooter was Fleming who finished 4-4 from the line. If Georgia Tech wants to continue to add Quad 1 wins, they must shoot better at the free throw line.

5. Georgia Tech has a chance at making the tournament

It was ugly for the Yellow Jackets on Wednesday, but they have shown they can hang with some of the top teams in the conference. You go look at the Duke game earlier in the year and the Yellow Jackets had the Blue Devils on the ropes. The game against NC State was a great performance as the Yellow Jackets had four scorers in double-figures. They proved they can operate efficiently and shoot the ball at a high level. These are the kind of games that go a long way instilling confidence in the team and helping reach another level. With the ACC being a better conference this year, Georgia Tech will have plenty of opportunities to pick up more quality wins. Saturday showed that when Georgia Tech is on its A game they can play with anyone.

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