Georgia Tech gets fast start, finishes off Central Arkansas

Field Level Media|published: Sat 30th November, 15:32 2024

Mar 2, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Damon Stoudamire on the sideline against the Florida State Seminoles in the second half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Lance Terry scored a team-high 25 points, helping lead Georgia Tech to an 87-68 win over visiting Central Arkansas on Saturday in Atlanta.

Jaeden Mustaf added 18 points off the bench for the Yellow Jackets (4-3), who won their second straight. Naithan George chipped in 16 points and a game-high 11 assists, while Baye Ndongo tallied 13 points and nine boards.

Layne Taylor led the Bears (2-5) with 20 points, followed by Elias Cato's 17. Brayden Fagbemi scored 15 for Central Arkansas, which has lost three of four.

Georgia Tech jumped out to a 10-0 lead, stamped with Ndongo's back-to-back baskets. The Bears later cut into their deficit with five straight points from Ben Fox, trimming the Yellow Jackets' lead to 25-20 with 8:54 remaining in the first half.

Georgia Tech then took its largest lead to that point with a 13-4 spurt, as Mustaf's layup extended the Yellow Jackets' advantage to 38-24 at the 5:20 mark. Central Arkansas answered with an 8-0 run, punctuated with Cato's 3-pointer.

Leading 46-38, Georgia Tech grew its halftime-lead to 11 on Terry's triple with 4 seconds left. Terry paced the Yellow Jackets with 14 first-half points, while Fagbemi's 10 led the Bears.

Terry's mid-range jumper pushed Georgia Tech's lead 58-45 with 14:16 remaining in the second half. Cato's three-point play followed by his triple trimmed the Bears' deficit to seven.

However, Terry's jumper completed the Yellow Jackets' 6-0 run with 10:23 left for a 64-51 advantage.

After Fagbemi's 3-pointer got Central Arkansas within 12 with 3:55 remaining, four straight Mustaf points began a game-clinching 9-2 run.

--Field Level Media