Two struggling teams will look to end their losing streaks on Wednesday as the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets host the Charleston Southern Buccaneers in Atlanta, Georgia.
Georgia Tech (2-3) is in the midst of a seven-game homestand. After losing to North Florida 103-95 on November 10, the Yellow Jackets bounced back with a 19-point victory over Texas Southern. However, they have since suffered losses against Georgia and Cincinnati, most recently falling 81-58 to the Bearcats on Saturday.
Doryan Onwuchekwa’s dunk early in the game gave Georgia Tech its first and only lead before Cincinnati pulled ahead to secure a 16-point advantage at halftime. The Yellow Jackets trailed by double digits for much of the game after 6:17 into the first half.
“Cincinnati came out strong from the beginning, and I didn’t think we matched their energy,” said Georgia Tech coach Damon Stoudamire. “We played hard in stretches during the first half, but we struggled to put together enough solid minutes.”
The team’s top scorers, Baye Ndongo (13.6 points per game) and Javian McCollum (12.8 points per game), each contributed just five points in the loss.
Stoudamire’s squad aims to complete a sweep of their nonconference home games this week, with Central Arkansas scheduled to visit after Wednesday’s matchup. Following that, they face tougher challenges with upcoming games at Oklahoma, at North Carolina, and a neutral-site game against Northwestern.
For their part, the Buccaneers (1-6) will be looking to improve on their all-time record of 1-8 against Georgia Tech. Led by coach Saah Nimley, a former Charleston Southern player from nearby Lawrenceville, Georgia, the Buccaneers are still in search of their first Division I win of the season.
Wednesday’s game marks their third matchup against a power-conference opponent this year, having already lost to Clemson and LSU. In their most recent outing, Charleston Southern fell behind early and lost 67-46 at home to Furman.
Senior Taje’ Kelly, an Atlanta native, leads the Buccaneers with averages of 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Nimley recognizes the significant role Kelly plays in their success.
“Taje’s perimeter skills have really impressed me,” Nimley said. “His ability to handle the ball in open space has improved significantly since his first two years. That development has stood out the most.”
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