Georgia Tech Holds Off Lafayette in High-Scoring Battle, 95-81
In a game that featured big runs, hot shooting, and plenty of free throws, Georgia Tech outlasted a feisty Lafayette squad 95-81 on Sunday afternoon at McCamish Pavilion. The Yellow Jackets, now 7-4 on the season, leaned on their starting five-Lamar Washington, Akai Fleming, Kam Craft, Kowacie Reeves, and Mo Sylla-to set the tone early and close things out late.
First Half: Jackets Build Early Cushion, But Leopards Hang Tough
Georgia Tech wasted no time getting on the board, with Mo Sylla converting a layup to open the scoring. From there, it was a back-and-forth affair early, with both teams trading threes and paint buckets.
Kam Craft knocked down a triple, and Sylla threw down a dunk to keep the Jackets in rhythm. But Lafayette responded with a couple of tough interior finishes to briefly take the lead.
Akai Fleming settled things with a pair of free throws, and Payton Marshall made his presence felt with a smooth spin move for a layup. That tied things at 11, but it also marked the start of a Yellow Jacket surge.
Out of a timeout, Lamar Washington drilled a three, then Kowacie Reeves turned defense into offense with a steal and transition layup. Washington added another bucket, and Reeves capped the run with a corner three that forced Lafayette to burn a timeout with 12:30 to go. In just a few minutes, Tech had flipped a tie game into a 10-point lead.
Marshall kept the momentum going with a dunk, and while Lafayette managed to stop the bleeding with a couple of free throws, Fleming and Sylla answered at the line. Craft caught fire from deep, knocking down back-to-back threes, but Lafayette refused to go away, matching each blow with a triple of their own.
As the half wound down, Washington continued to attack, scoring inside and then hitting another three to push the lead back to seven. Fleming and Reeves added buckets, but Lafayette closed the half strong with a three-point play and a buzzer-beating layup to stay within striking distance. At the break, Georgia Tech led 49-43.
Second Half: Lafayette Rallies, But Jackets Regain Control
The second half didn’t start the way Damon Stoudamire would’ve liked. Georgia Tech came out flat, and Lafayette took advantage, hitting a pair of threes and a layup before Fleming finally got the Jackets on the board. Another Leopard run-including a three and a layup-cut the lead to just one, prompting a quick timeout from Stoudamire at the 14:30 mark.
Out of the break, Reeves calmly knocked down two free throws, and Chas Kelley added a three after Lafayette missed a pair at the line. Still, the Leopards hung around, getting to the line themselves and keeping the deficit within two possessions.
Lafayette trimmed the lead to two again before Fleming hit a short jumper and Marshall cleaned up a miss for a putback. That gave Tech a bit of breathing room, but Lafayette continued to chip away. Fleming and Reeves each added free throws, and with under eight minutes to play, Tech held a 70-63 edge.
That’s when Reeves took over.
After splitting a pair at the line, Reeves went coast-to-coast for a thunderous slam. Marshall followed with a strong finish, and Reeves was fouled on a putback, converting both shots.
Even with Lafayette scoring at the other end, the Jackets kept answering. Fleming added another free throw, and Washington hit two more after being fouled.
With just under four minutes to go, Georgia Tech led 80-71.
Lafayette made a final push, hitting free throws and getting a couple of buckets to cut it to seven. But Fleming answered with two more from the stripe, and Reeves added a layup to keep Tech in control.
After a Lafayette foul shot, Washington broke the press and scored through contact, converting the and-one. Then, with the game winding down, Washington buried a dagger three to put the game on ice.
Fleming added one last exclamation point, knocking down a three with two seconds left to cap off a strong all-around performance for the Jackets.
Takeaways:
- Kowacie Reeves was all over the place-hitting shots, grabbing key rebounds, and making hustle plays that swung momentum.
- Lamar Washington brought energy and poise, especially in key moments down the stretch.
- Akai Fleming was a rock at the free throw line and consistently found ways to get to the rim.
- Kam Craft’s shooting kept the offense humming in the first half, and his spacing helped open driving lanes for others.
- Payton Marshall and Mo Sylla brought physicality inside, helping the Jackets win the battle in the paint.
It wasn’t always pretty, and Lafayette made them earn it, but Georgia Tech showed resilience and offensive versatility. With ACC play looming, this kind of gritty, balanced win is exactly what the Jackets needed to build confidence heading into the heart of the season.