Georgia Tech, which has found its nonconference schedule to be more challenging than expected, continues the slate Sunday afternoon when it hosts West Georgia in Atlanta.
The Yellow Jackets (4-1) needed overtime to turn back Maryland-Eastern Shore in the opener and squeaked past Georgia Southern 68-66 on Tuesday.
The tuneup against West Georgia (4-2) will be their final game before competing in the Emerald Coast Classic against DePaul, Drake and LSU.
“A win is a win, but I’d be lying though if I said I was happy,” Georgia Tech coach Damon Stoudamire said after Tuesday’s game. “We have to figure some things out offensively. For two years that’s been our strength. Defensively I think we’re good enough. But our offense puts stress on our defense because you feel like you’ve got to get a stop on every possession.”
Georgia Tech is 4-0 at home for the first time since winning its first five home contests in 2018-19.
Baye Ndongo is coming off his best game of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds to help the Yellow Jackets dig out of an 11-point first-half hole. He is averaging 12.0 points and 7.3 boards.
Kowacie Reeves Jr. leads Georgia Tech at 12.6 points and Mouhamed Sylla averages 11.8 points and 11.0 rebounds.
West Georgia has won three in a row after beating USC Upstate 72-64 on Friday. In their second season in Division I, the Wolves have lost only to Nebraska and then-No. 15 UCLA, both on the road.
West Georgia has been led by Shelton Williams-Dryden, who had his third consecutive double-double with 22 points and a career-high 17 rebounds against USC Upstate. He leads the team with 18.7 points and 10.2 rebounds.
Josh Smith averages 16.2 points. He scored all 18 of his points against USC Upstate in the second half.
“We’ve just to battle,” Wolves coach Dave Moore said of facing Georgia Tech. “We’ve been in these games before, been to Nebraska, been to UCLA, went to Georgia Tech last year. We’re playing with house money. We just need to battle them and let it all hang out.”
The Yellow Jackets won last season’s meeting 85-62 in Atlanta.
