CHARLOTTE, NC- Georgia Tech snapped a 13-game skid against Virginia in a 66-60 win in the second round of the ACC Tournament. Jackets point guard Naithan George fell just short of a triple-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. It was a career-high in rebounding for George.

The Cavaliers didn’t make it easy going on a 9-0 run late to nearly erase an 11-point Tech lead with 1:29 left in the game thanks to a pair of threes by Isaac McKneely and Tech missing three free throws. Virginia pulled within two with 25 seconds left before George sank four free throws to close out the game for the Jackets.

Tech wing Duncan Powell took over in the second half driving to the hoop and scoring 15 of his 21 points to help the Jackets pull away from Virginia.

Big man Baye Ndongo added another double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds on 6-8 shooting from the floor. Ndongo added four blocks as well.

The double-doubles by George and Ndongo were the first in the ACC Tournament history for the Jackets.

Powell and Ndongo helped the Jackets to a 40-24 with points in the paint. George said that Tech head coach Damon Stoudamire emphasized at the half attacking the rim against Virginia and it paid off as both teams struggled to shoot from the perimeter.

“Coach emphasized that at half. We don't really need plays all the time, just getting downhill and setting hook screens in the backcourt, front court, wherever. They like to switch, so just attacking the big downhill is just a mismatch really,” George said. And if they want to push us out, we have Baye Ndongo that can seal or Duncan Powell that can seal and get a finish. Yeah, Coach emphasized that at half.”

McKneely was the lone consistent offensive thread for Virginia racking up 27 points on 7-11 shooting from three. The Jackets shut down Elijah Saunders and Andrew Rhode the second and third leading scorers for Virginia who combined for 13 points on 4-17 shooting in the loss.

Stoudamire said his decision to go with a smaller lineup was based on how the team played in Charlottesville last month.

“I think the biggest key to the game for me is when we played them the last time, I started Duncan at the 3 because I didn't have enough perimeter bodies. So I took Souare out of the starting lineup and started Jaeden Mustaf, so it helped us stay connected, so I think that made a big difference.

The other thing is, I wanted to keep a lot of ball pressure on Rohde. He's really been playing well for Virginia, and you need ball pressure on him. He has great size, and you just can't let him play free like that. And Ames had been playing really well,” he said.

Dai Dai Ames had 18 points against the Jackets in the previous game last month and he was held to four points on 1-9 shooting.

Both teams struggled offensively and the teams were tied at the half thanks to 5-14 shooting by Virginia from three and the Jackets hitting 6-6 from the line and shooting slightly better overall at 39.1 percent compared to UVA’s 29.6 and 3-13 from inside the arc. Ndongo led Tech with 10 points and five rebounds at the break while Isaac McKneely had 11 on 3-4 from three to lead the Cavs at the break. Powell scored on a free throw at the end of the half to tie the game at 25 on an effort play that set the tone for the second-half run by the Jackets.

“It was big. It was really big,” Stoudamire said of the play by Powell “But to be honest with you, the offense I knew would pick up, but I was more concerned but happy all at the same time with the way we played defense because usually two months ago if shots wasn't going in, we wouldn't play D.”

Powell said that play at the end of the half was a critical moment in the game for the Jackets.

“It was real big. It gave us the opportunity to go into the second half 0-0 pretty much. Me and Nait got a good chemistry. He's found me a couple times throughout the year on this, so I give him a look, he sees one of the guys behind me, he just puts it in the pocket. I felt him fouling me before I went up, so I just knew to throw it,” he said.

Georgia Tech used the 10th different starting lineup of the season going with Mustaf in place of Souare in a smaller lineup.

Powell's 21 points was the 28th time this season GT had a 20-point scorer and the 6th time by Powell this year. That is a new program record for 20-point games in a season eclipsing the 2021 team that won the ACCT.

The Jackets scored the first four points of the game, but Virginia hit a pair of threes and free throws to take a 8-6 lead early. Stoudamire used an early timeout to adjust his defense after giving up the open looks from three with 14:42 left in the half. George tied the game at 10 out of the second media timeout with under 12 minutes to play in the half. Tech used a second timeout on a loose ball rebound by Powell with 7:22 left in the game and the Jackets down 15-12. During that stretch the Jackets had not hit a field goal for over six minutes scoring on four free throws only. Ndongo finally hit a layup after 8:46 without a field goal to pull GT with seven five, 19-14. Ndongo dunked in a basket on the next possession to cut it three, 19-16 leading to a UVA timeout with 4:38 left. Tech trailed by two with four seconds left in the half. After two different reviews for time checks, Powell was awarded two free throws and hit both to tie the game at 25 at the break with 0.1 left on the clock.

McKneely who led Virginia in the first half in scoring picked up his third foul on the first Tech possession of the second half. Georgia Tech took a 33-28 lead into the first media timeout. The Jackets used a 7-0 run after a McKneely three to pull ahead 42-35 with 11:42 left in the game. The Jackets extended it to 8-0 on a Powell free throw before Virginia finally scored a layup. A Powell layup put the Jackets up 10, 49-39 with under nine minutes to go. Tech extended the lead to 11 on a pair of free throws by Mustaf with 4:11 left in the game 57-46. 57-46. Powell out of the media timeout hit a layup to make it 59-46 with just over three minutes to play. McKneely hit a layup and added a pair of free throws after a Tech ten-second violation against full-court pressure to cut the lead to nine, 59-50 with 1:46 left in the game. Mustaf hit a pair of free throws to push the lead back to 11, 61-50. George had a steal on the next UVA possession and was fouled but missed the free throw. Virginia scored a layup to bring it back to a nine-point game with a minute left in the game. McKneely hit a wild three to make it 62-55 with 43 seconds left and George missed a pair of free throws. Coffee’sCofie’s dunk cut the lead to 62-57 with 35.7 left. Virginia tied up George on the ensuing inbounds play. McKneely hit a three to make it a two-point game and George was fouled with 19.1 left. Hit hit both free throws and McKneely turned the ball over with 12.3 left giving Tech the ball up 64-60. George added two free throws to put GT back up six 66-60 to close the game out.

The Jackets will face #1 Duke on Thursday at noon.