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Baye Ndongo's Game-Winning Tip In Lifts Yellow Jackets Past California; Instant Takeaways From The Win

The Yellow Jackets are one win shy of their win total from 2023 after another electric win at home

Najeh Wilkins

Feb 15, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Jaeden Mustaf (3) dunks over California Golden Bears guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) in the second half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Feb 15, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Jaeden Mustaf (3) dunks over California Golden Bears guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) in the second half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech continues elite play at McCamish Pavilion and now has their most win at home since 2016-2017. The Yellow Jackets also got their first victory over California in four meetings in an exciting back-and-forth contest. Georgia Tech came in this game as one of the top 10 teams in the ACC and is not far from getting a bye in the ACC tournament. They have continued to elevate their chances and are .500 for the first time since January, winning five of the last seven games. Here are some key takeaways from the thrilling win.

1. Baye Ndongo game-winner and career-high 26 points - After Nait George drove into the lane and collapsed the defense, Ndongo corralled the offensive rebound and put it back in as time expired. An epic end to an exciting game. He scored a career-high 16 points in the first half, the most for him in the half of his career. Ndongo dominated the paint and pushed the defense to the middle of the floor. He continued to do his damage on the offensive glass and finished with five rebounds in the first half, four of which came on offense. Ndongo finished with eight offensive rebounds. Coming into the game against California he was fifth in the ACC with seven double-doubles. He added another to bring his total to eight for the year. Ndongo delivered in a big way and showed why he was considered one of the top players in basketball heading into his sophomore year. The improved play of George Tech during this stretch has been because of the growth in their sophomores who are playing at a high level including Ndongo and Nait George. 

2. Nait George continues to carry the scoring load- We have brought him a lot over the past six games in our takeaways but he has simply been playing at a different level. George is making offense easy for his teammates and the Yellow Jackets have benefited from it. It seems he knows what to do every trip down the court whether that is scoring or playmaking. In the first half, he had 11 points and four assists. He finished with 26 points and eight assists, scoring 15 in the second half. He did a lot of his damage from three-point range knocking down five threes. A moment that sticks out is when the Yellow Jackets were down five with less than three minutes left in the game and desperately needed a bucket. George stepped up in a big way knocking down a three and halting California’s momentum late in the game. George has continued to be impressive and has scored 20 points in four of the last five games. 

3. Duncan Powell Key For The Yellow Jackets- He made a dunk that gave the Yellow Jackets a 75-73 lead with under three minutes to go when the offense was struggling. He also crashed the offensive glass which resulted in a foul. Powell calmly knocked down both free throws to give Georgia Tech a four-point lead late in the fourth quarter. The game went into overtime but that was a critical part of the game for Georgia Tech. Powell was the third-leading scorer finishing with 19 points, doing a lot of his damage in the second half scoring 15 of his points in that half. Powell’s impact continues to shine this season for the Yellow Jackets and he has been a reliable option in a tough season for Georgia Tech. He came up big again on Saturday making plays and keeping possessions alive on the offensive glass with his hustle and effort. 

4. Jeremiah Wilkinson was a problem- Unfortunately, Wilkinson went out late for California after he caught a cramp late in the game with 1:55 left. His scoring prowess was on full display throughout the game. He wasn’t shooting well coming in but you wouldn’t know that based on his performance. The Georgia native went off against the Yellow Jackets on Saturday night. He had a great homecoming giving the Yellow Jackets fits especially from three-point range. Wilkinson hit four threes on Saturday. At one point in the game, he had 19 points on 6-12 shooting from the field. He was doing a lot of his damage attacking downhill which led to easy opportunities and free throw shots. Wilkinson finished with 25 points and two assists but was a thorn in the side for the Yellow Jackets and showcased how lethal he can be when he has it going. 

6. California Offensive Rebounding and 2nd Chance Points- The Golden Bears used their offensive rebounding and second chance opportunities to get back into the game. They were constantly attacking the glass leading and making the Yellow Jackets work. One sequence immediately stands out to you. California grabbed two offensive rebounds on one possession in the second half resulting in three chances at a basket before finally converting a three-point shot. California finished with 12 offensive rebounds resulting in 20 second-chance points. If you are a Georgia Tech fan you have to take it with a grain of salt because California is the best offensive rebounding team in the ACC. They definitely showed it on Saturday night, and it helped the Bears get into a rhythm when they struggled shooting it in the first half. 

7. Jaeden Mustaf Perimeter Defense- Now this is something that will go overlooked in this game, but you saw the potential that Mustaf has on the defense side of the ball. His lateral quickness and ability to stay in front of an opponent were on full display. Mustaf was switching between guarding Andrej Stojakovic, Jeremiah Wilkinson, and Jovan Blackshear. Late in the game, he stayed in front of Stojakovic forcing a much-needed turnover that resulted in a Lance Terry bucket that tied the game. Mustaf showed that he can guard the opposing team’s best perimeter players and make it difficult for them to get to where they want to go. I think he gives coach Stoudamire an interesting lineup he can deploy late in games moving forward especially when Georgia Tech needs a stop.

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Najeh Wilkins
NAJEH WILKINS

Najeh Wilkins covers football and basketball for Georgia Tech Athletics at FanNation. He has experience in recruiting, hosting, play-by-play, and color commentary.

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