Georgia Tech Handles Business Against Florida A&M with Balanced Attack and Defensive Intensity
Georgia Tech took care of business on Sunday afternoon, cruising past Florida A&M 89-65 in the second game of a home doubleheader. From the opening tip, the Yellow Jackets came out with energy, depth, and a defensive edge that overwhelmed the Rattlers early and never let up.
First Half: A Statement Start
Mo Sylla set the tone right away with a powerful slam, and the Jackets followed that up with a quick steal from Lamar Washington that led to a Kowacie Reeves layup. While Florida A&M answered with a three, Reeves stayed hot-knocking down one from deep and adding another finish at the rim. Even with some early sloppy possessions, Georgia Tech built a 9-6 lead by the first media timeout at 15:32.
Head coach Damon Stoudamire wasted no time going deep into his bench, subbing in an entirely new five-man unit after the break. The fresh legs paid off.
After A&M briefly pulled within one, Tech responded with a Mustapha Diop slam and a driving bucket from Chas Kelly, pushing the lead back to four. Kelly’s hot hand continued after the timeout, drilling a corner three.
Washington followed it with a coast-to-coast layup, and Akai Fleming added a three of his own. The Jackets’ defense turned up the pressure, with Baye Ndongo swatting a shot that led to a Fleming lay-in.
On the next trip, Ndongo spun into the lane for a smooth finish, extending the lead to double digits at the 7:43 mark.
The final minutes of the half were all Georgia Tech. Reeves found Sylla for an easy two, Fleming added a free throw, and Mustaf dished a beautiful assist to Sylla under the basket.
Washington sliced through the defense for another layup, and Sylla continued to make his presence felt with a block that led to a Reeves fast-break finish. After a timeout, Sylla calmly knocked down two free throws, and Kelley added a corner three.
A final Ndongo block led to a thunderous slam from Fleming as the Jackets closed the half with a commanding 43-21 lead.
Second Half: Jackets Keep Their Foot on the Gas
The second half opened just like the first-with Washington slicing to the rim and Ndongo stepping out to knock down a three. Ndongo followed that with another bucket inside, and even when A&M hit a three to stop the bleeding, Sylla answered with a tough finish down low.
Ndongo kept his motor running, grabbing a rebound and putting it back up for two. Mustaf added a free throw, and Washington once again got into the paint for a layup.
By the time the first media timeout rolled around, the Jackets had stretched the lead to 57-29.
The offense kept clicking. Washington found Kyle Craft for a sneaky layup, and Ndongo hit Mustaf in stride for a strong finish through contact-Mustaf converted both free throws.
Kelley added a free throw of his own and then a layup after A&M briefly cut into the lead. At the 11:40 timeout, Tech was up 66-38 and firmly in control.
A&M made a mini-run, capitalizing on a few Tech turnovers to trim the lead to 24. That prompted a timeout from Stoudamire to settle things down.
The Jackets responded with a Ndongo steal and a Reeves layup. Eric Chatfield joined the scoring party with a three, keeping the Rattlers at bay heading into the 7:40 timeout.
Out of the break, A&M got a quick bucket, but Ndongo answered with a slam. A couple of turnovers led to back-to-back A&M scores, but Reeves calmly knocked down both ends of a trip to the line to halt the momentum.
The Jackets did get outworked on the glass for a stretch, but Ndongo again stepped up with a slam to stop the bleeding. Washington added another strong take to the rim, and after an A&M three, Ndongo turned a steal into a layup just before the final media timeout at 3:17.
Georgia Tech led 81-60.
Down the stretch, Fleming hit a pair from the stripe to reach double figures, and Kelley added a layup. Davi Remagen capped off the scoring with a late basket to seal the 89-65 win.
Takeaways
This was a textbook team win for Georgia Tech. The Jackets got contributions across the board-Sylla dominated inside, Washington controlled the tempo, Ndongo was everywhere on both ends, and the bench brought consistent energy. Stoudamire’s willingness to rotate lineups early and often paid off, keeping his squad fresh and engaged.
Defensively, Tech set the tone with rim protection and active hands, forcing turnovers and turning them into easy buckets. Offensively, they shared the ball well and attacked in waves, never letting Florida A&M get comfortable.
With this win, Georgia Tech moves to 9-4 and continues to build momentum heading into the heart of their schedule. If they can keep up this balance of depth, defensive intensity, and offensive rhythm, they’ll be a tough out for anyone.