Georgia Tech wastes late lead, edges Penn State in OT

Field Level Media|published: Sat 16th December, 14:54 2023

Dec 16, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Naithan George (2) drives past Penn State Nittany Lions forward Leo O'Boyle (11) in the first half at Madison Square Garden. credits: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Miles Kelly made two free throws with 2.1 seconds left in overtime as Georgia Tech nipped Penn State 82-81 in Saturday's Holiday Festival matchup in New York.

Tafara Gapare scored 20 points to pace the Yellow Jackets (6-3), who squandered a 10-point lead late in regulation. Kowacie Reeves chipped in 15 points, while Baye Ndongo pulled down 19 rebounds to go with 12 points.

The Nittany Lions (5-7) were paced by Kanye Clary's 23 points, Ace Baldwin Jr. with 18 and D'Marco Dunn with 17. Puff Johnson chipped in 15 points.

Georgia Tech led by two midway through overtime before Johnson made a 3-pointer to tilt the scoreboard in Penn State's favor. Ndongo's bucket gave the lead back to the Yellow Jackets, but Baldwin promptly responded with a layup with just under a minute to go.

Reeves' layup then regained the lead for Georgia Tech before Clary's pull-up jumper with 23 seconds left put Penn State back in front.

Kelly then knocked down the decisive free throws after a loose-ball foul to lift the Yellow Jackets to their fourth win in five games.

Georgia Tech led 69-59 with about 5 1/2 minutes to play in regulation. However, Penn State kept fighting, as 3-pointers by Johnson and Clary helped the Nittany Lions get within 71-67 with four minutes left.

Dunn made 3-of-4 foul shots to get Penn State within a point before Johnson's layup with 1:19 left gave the Nittany Lions a 72-71 lead. Reeves then made 1-of-2 foul shots with 1:12 to play, tying the score at 72-72, and neither team cracked the scoreboard again down the stretch.

Neither team led by more than six during a first half that ended with Georgia Tech ahead 39-37.

Penn State led 47-44 early in the second half when Georgia Tech uncorked the game's first significant run — a 13-2 push that created an eight-point lead for the Yellow Jackets. Shortly thereafter, Dallan Coleman drained a 3-pointer to create the game's first double-digit advantage, as Georgia Tech led 66-56 with 8:38 left in regulation.

—Field Level Media

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