On Saturday, Feb. 1 the Jackets’ Men’s Basketball team pulled off an underdog victory hosting the No. 21-ranked Louisville Cardinals. Tech’s win ended the Cardinals’ 10-game winning streak, which propelled Louisville to second in the ACC. Senior guard Lance Terry led the team in scoring with 23 points on 20 shots. Sophomore forward Baye Ndongo had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The first half of the game favored the Cardinals. Louisville guards fifth-year Terrence Edwards Jr. and senior Chucky Hepburn made scoring on the Tech defense seem effortless in the beginning. The duo combined for 6-10 from 3-point range in the first half. With the arena tinted with red, cheers of Louisville fans seemed to stomp out any atmosphere of a Tech defense. The Jackets offense, on the other hand, barely scraped by. In the game’s opening minutes, there were multiple instances of baskets barely beating the shot clock. Furthermore, many of the team’s attempts to score did not connect. In the first half, the Jackets shot a disappointing 12-31 or 38.7% from the field. This gave Louisville a steady lead for most of the half, ending the period 38-27.
However, the tides turned in the second half, with the Jackets finding their flow on both ends of the floor. Redshirt junior Duncan Powell had a breakaway steal leading to a layup and a free throw from a foul, bringing the Jackets back to life. Terry had four 3-pointers and a defiant slam dunk to control the lead. Sophomore guard Naithan George also contributed with 10 points in the half, many of them coming in key moments. Defensively, the Jackets forced 8 turnovers in the second half that led to 16 points. Louisville ended the game with 14 total turnovers compared to their 12 assists. The Cardinals also struggled shooting from both beyond the arc and at the line. Louisville shot only 1-9 from 3 in the second half along with a subpar eight missed free throws. With 3 minutes left in the game Tech led by 9 as Ndongo slammed home a dunk that caused McCamish to erupt. In a final charge, the Cardinals blundered on a 3-point attempt, leading to a turnover and giving Tech free throws as time expired.
After the game, Louisville Head Coach Pat Kelsey credited Tech’s ambition and defensive scheme for their win.
“They were the better team tonight. … They played like a desperate team, and they deserved to win,” Kelsey said.
Kelsey then mentioned how the Cardinals’ missed free throws and turnovers did not help their efforts.
Another noteworthy point of Tech’s performance was that Tech used a short rotation, with only six players. With much of the roster injured, all but one of those six tallied less than 30 minutes.
“I think it’s sustainable,” Terry said when asked about the style of play.
“We can’t use it as an excuse,”George said about the team’s injuries.
George followed his comments by saying that the Jackets showed resilience in the contest.
“Facing adversity and overcoming that hump, really showed tonight,” he said.
The Jackets next play at Clemson on Tuesday Feb. 4 as they continue conference play.