THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s Baye Ndongo scored 14 points and Duncan Powell added a season-high 13, but No. 5 Duke pulled away in the second half to defeat the Yellow Jackets, 82-56, on Saturday afternoon at McCamish Pavilion.
Duke raced out a 15-point lead in the first half, but paced by five points from Ndongo and four from Powell, Georgia Tech closed the half on a 14-4 run and trailed just 41-36 at halftime.
However, the Yellow Jackets could not carry the momentum into the second half. Duke made five of its first six shots after the break and Tech missed 11-straight early in the period, which allowed the Blue Devils to extend their lead to 19 less than seven minutes after halftime. Tech, which shot just 25% from the field after halftime (7-of-28), couldn’t get closer than 16 the rest of the way.
Duke’s hot shooting (56% for the game), combined with the Jackets’ cold afternoon from the field (35%) and a large rebounding disparity (36-25 in favor of Duke), was the difference in the contest.
Ndongo and Powell led the way for the Yellow Jackets, combining for 27 of the team’s 56 points, including 23 of the Jackets’ 31 points in the first half (12 for Ndongo, 11 for Powell).
Ryan Mutombo pulled down a team-high six rebounds, while Ndongo and Naithan George had four assists apiece for Tech, which was playing without regular starters Kowacie Reeves, Jr. and Luke O’Brien, who missed the game due to injury.
Kon Knueppel led four Duke starters in double-figures with 18 points.
Georgia Tech has the week off before returning to action next Saturday, Dec. 28, for its final non-conference game of the season versus Alabama A&M. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at McCamish Pavilion.
