Georgia Tech emerges with scrappy, 61-54 win over Rider
By Keith Holt
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets rebounded from their first loss of the season on Friday evening, by holding off the Rider Broncos by a score of 61-54 in the consolation round of the Orlando Classic.
Rider was able to stay with Georgia Tech for most of the game and was even tied 30-30 at halftime. The Broncos were led by their 7-foot center Matt Lopez with 13 points. Lopez scored 9 of those points in the first 20 minutes, but he did not get many touches after that. Lopez was the only member of his team to reach double figures in scoring.
The Yellow Jackets rode strong performances from their big men, led by Charles Mitchell’s 15 points and 12 rebounds. Demarco Cox and Marcus George-Hunt also added 10 points each for Brian Gregory’s ball club.
Neither team shot the ball particularly well in the game, as the Jackets and Broncos both hovered around 40% shooting from the field. Georgia Tech was able to gain a massive 49-27 edge in rebounding, which included 19-5 advantage on the offensive glass, and that proved to be vital in securing the victory
Next up for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will be the Rams of Rhode Island on Sunday, November 30, as they finish up their time at the Orlando Classic. Stay tuned.