Six Takeaways From Yellow Jackets Win Over Stanford on Wednesday Night

Georgia Tech adds another quality win to the resume defeating Stanford at home and rebounds from their loss on the road to Virginia. The Yellow Jackets made this game more interesting than it needed to be in the second half but showed their killer instinct to close out the game. Here are the key takeaways from the Yellow Jackets victory.

1. Georgia Tech shuts down Max Raynaud- Coming into this game Reynaud's season average was 20.4 PPG and 11.7 rebounds. He is considered one of the best players in the ACC, so much so that he is in the conversation for ACC Player of the Year this season The Yellow Jackets held him to 1-8 shooting and just two points in the first half. He was also 0-4 from three-point range. The Yellow Jackets did a good job of slowing him down and held him to a season-low eight points on 4-13 shooting and 0-6 from three-point range. It was a great all-around effort from the Yellow Jackets as they shut down one of the best players in the country.

2. Nait George takes over late- George made clutch plays late in the game with his playmaking and scoring. George hit a much-needed jump shot after Stanford closed the gap to within single digits. He also had an assist on the subsequent possession to Ibrahim Souare that put the lead back to 12. He finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Wednesday night marked the third consecutive game George eclipsed the 20-point mark. It looks like the game is finally starting to slow down for him and he continues to be a go-to scoring option for the Yellow Jackets despite rolling out six and seven-man rotations throughout the year. The game against Stanford marked the ninth different starting lineup for the Yellow Jackets this season. One thing has remained constant and that is the play of George.

Welcome to Atlanta#StingEm 🐝 pic.twitter.com/8jXE1T4ePW
— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) February 13, 2025

3. 2nd-half turnovers nearly prove costly- The Yellow Jackets let Stanford get back into the game with their 10 turnovers in the second half alone. Georgia Tech did a good job of making the Cardinals earn everything and it was a tough shooting night for the Cardinals who shot just 30% from the field. Their shooting in the second half was still subpar, but Stanford got back into it scoring 10 points off those turnovers to get back into the game. You also saw that in the uptick of the paint points in the second half for the Cardinals who finished with 22 points in the paint in the second half alone compared to just eight for the Yellow Jackets. Turnovers aren’t usually a problem for the Yellow Jackets but it nearly cost them a chance at another quality win.

4. Baye Ndongo had a great 1st half- Ndongo finished nearly with a double-double in the first half, scoring 11 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Ndongo did his damage on the offensive glass snagging six offensive rebounds. He was also +17 in the first half when he was on the court in the 1st half. Ndongo finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds. He also had three blocks on the defensive end. He has 29 career games in double figures and Wednesday night also marked his seventh double-double of the season His only knock so far is foul trouble throughout his career. Georgia Tech missed his presence especially after he hit the bench after his fourth foul. Ndongo is a monster on the glass at keeping possessions alive and limiting the opposing team’s possessions. He’s a great player for the Yellow Jackets and his impact is invaluable especially when he is at the top of his game.

Seventh double-double of the season for Baye 💪

2H | 18:15
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— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) February 13, 2025

5. Georgia Tech dominates the glass- The Yellow Jackets held a 27-15 advantage at the break and Ndongo was a main factor for Georgia Tech on the glass snatching rebounds out the air and keeping plays alive. Georgia Tech finished +9 on the glass and was dominant on the defensive glass finishing +12 in the game on Wednesday. Make no mistake about it Georgia Tech is a better team when they are dominating the glass and have a good chance to beat anybody in the country It showed it in the last stretch knocking off Clemson, Louisville, and Virginia Tech.

6. Yellow Jackets have a better game at the charity stripe- Finally, the Yellow Jackets have an efficient night at the free throw line. In the first half, Georgia Tech shot 91% from the free throw making 10-11 of its free throws. Duncan Powell was 4-4, Nait George 2-2, Jaeden Mustaf 3-4, and Ndongo 1-1. Georgia Tech finished 17-19 in one of its better performances of the season at the charity stripe. It may get overlooked but free throws were key in helping the Yellow Jackets close out the game against Stanford as they made things more interesting late in the game.

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