ATLANTA — Naithan George played a pivotal role in Georgia Tech’s 91-82 victory over UMBC on Wednesday night, contributing 14 of his 18 points during the second half while also dishing out eight assists. This victory marked the end of a three-game losing streak for the Yellow Jackets.

Baye Ndongo was another key player for Georgia Tech, recording 17 points and securing nine rebounds. Both Lance Terry and freshman Jaeden Mustaf, who was making his first start, each added 15 points to the scoreboard as the Yellow Jackets improved their record to 5-6.

For UMBC, Bryce Johnson was a standout performer, scoring 14 of his 21 points after halftime when the Retrievers attempted to close a significant gap, cutting a 22-point deficit down to six at one point. Meanwhile, Louie Jordan showcased his shooting skills, knocking down five three-pointers to finish with 17 points, and Ace Valentine contributed 16 points to the effort.

Both teams put on impressive shooting displays, each hitting 52% of their shots. The Yellow Jackets were 8 for 16 from beyond the arc, while UMBC fared slightly better at 10 for 25. At the free-throw line, Georgia Tech converted 19 of 29 attempts, compared to UMBC’s 12 out of 19. Additionally, the Yellow Jackets dominated the rebounds, finishing plus-16 on the boards, and gained an edge by scoring nine more points off turnovers.

UMBC found itself down by 22 with 15 minutes remaining but managed to fight back, getting within six points after a Johnson three-pointer with three minutes left on the clock. However, George assisted Ndongo for a dunk, followed by a three-pointer from Luke O’Brien that restored an 11-point lead. The Retrievers pulled it back to nine points, but George’s free throws, coupled with a turnover that led to a fast-break dunk by Mustaf, widened the gap to 86-73 with just 51 seconds left, sealing the game for Tech.

After falling behind 11-2 early in the match, Ndongo and Terry teamed up to spark a remarkable 19-0 run for Georgia Tech, leading the charge to a 53-34 halftime advantage while shooting an impressive 62% in the first half.

This victory is the first of five consecutive home games for the Yellow Jackets, who are set to face Duke in an ACC matchup on Saturday. Meanwhile, UMBC will take on Marist on the same day.