Freshman duo, Sturdivant help lead GT past UMass 73-70
A win is a win, no matter how it comes.
That's likely the feeling in the locker room after Georgia Tech's first game at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic on Thursday night.
After being down by double digits on multiple occasions, the Yellow Jackets were able to come back in the end and come out on top 73-70.
Not enough can be said about super senior PG Kyle Sturdivant was huge GT's efforts, finishing the game with 21 points and some clutch free throws down the stretch.
Coming off a game to forget in which he had 5 turnovers against Penn State, head coach Damon Stoudamire didn't hesitate to bring him onto the court early and often on Thursday.
Sturdivant was able to handle the UMass press, and took what the defense was giving him. His mid-range game and calm demeanor were both big factors as GT fought throughout.
He led a bench unit that ended up scoring just under half of the total points scored, as Deebo Coleman added 12 and Ibrahima Sacko had a well-timed three as well.
The bench was able to give freshmen Baye Ndongo and Naithan George time to settle in, both in the first half and in the second half as it seemed the game was getting away from GT. They both made several freshman mistakes, finishing the game with 8 of the team's 21 turnovers.
George finished the game with 9 points, 5 assists, and 2 rebounds. His three-pointer with just under three minutes to play to tie the game back at 67 may have been the biggest play of the game.
After fighting back over and over again, Georgia Tech had finally gotten the score tied at 64 on a 9-0 run. Just moments after Ndongo tied the game, Matt Cross hit a three that could have easily put the momentum right back in the hands of the Minutemen..
Ndongo's presence in the paint defensively and his ability to finish in the paint offensively were huge for GT down the stretch. Ndongo finished 6-6 from the field, and added 8 rebounds and 2 blocks as well.
The freshman mistakes felt magnified on Thursday night at times due to the struggles from star Miles Kelly.
Kelly's slow stretch offensively hit a new low on Thursday, finishing with just 7 points on 2-11 shooting. He also went 0-6 from three.
Despite his struggles shooting, the Junior from Stone Mountain made some key rebounds on the defensive glass. If Georgia Tech is going to continue to elevate themselves this season and be able to be a factor in the ACC, Kelly is going to need to find himself.
Stoudamire's All-American aspirations for Kelly were bold, and his struggles offensively on Thursday played a big factor as the deficit continued to grow.
The best news for Kelly, the Jackets' leading scorer so far this season, is that he will have another opportunity to find himself tomorrow night on the same court.
Georgia Tech, now 7-3, will take on either Hawaii or Portland tomorrow night at 11pm on ESPN2.