Georgia Tech basketball no match for No. 18 Cincinnati

ATLANTA — From the get-go to the go-home, Georgia Tech was no match for No. 18 Cincinnati on Saturday at McCamish Pavilion, losing 81-58 to equal the program’s worst start through five games since 2020.

The Yellow Jackets dropped to 2-3 after their second consecutive defeat. They never really were in this one, falling behind 4-2 when Dillon Mitchell stole a lazy pass at halfcourt and took it the other way for a thunderous jam. The Bearcats (5-0) never trailed from that point.

“At this juncture, really disappointed,” Tech coach Damon Stoudamire said. “It’s not really about the score and the outcome, but just disappointed in the whole. I didn’t expect to be here after five games, but I have been through this rodeo as a player and a coach before. I’m not concerned. I know what to do. We just gonna do it. We’re gonna come back on Monday, and we gonna figure it out.”

Tech shot only 35.6% from the floor, hard to overcome considering the visitors hardly were tested while making 32 of their 62 shots.

Nait George led Tech in scoring with 13 points, while Duncan Powell came off the bench to chip in 10. The Jackets registered only eight assists and turned the ball over 12 times.

Mitchell, Jizzle James and Connor Hickman all finished with 14 to lead Cincinnati, who were three-of-four Bearcats players in double figures. Mitchell also had 11 rebounds.

The Jackets return to McCamish Pavilion at 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday to host Charleston Southern (1-6).

“From jump, Cincinnati just did a good job of bringing the game to us,” Stoudamire said. “I didn’t think we matched their energy on the initial. I thought we played hard in the first half in spurts, but we couldn’t put enough good minutes together. Every time we would get things within striking distance, something would happen.”

Tech got off to a putrid start Saturday by turning the ball over five times (two of which were the result of illegal screens) while falling into a 10-2 hole. All 10 of Cincy’s points came from inside the paint.

The Bearcats went up 19-9 when Aziz Bandaogo flushed an alley-oop. Tech seemed to wake a bit from its midafternoon slumber from there, getting a Kowacie Reeves 3-point shot from the right corner and a Baye Ndongo basket to get within 21-14.

But Cincinnati wasn’t fazed and went up 27-17 when Mitchell finished an alley-oop. Stoudamire called a timeout immediately and grabbed a clipboard — not to draw a play but to cover his mouth while giving his team a tongue-lashing.

Tech came out of the timeout and promptly turned the ball over, leading to another Mitchell finish via a second consecutive alley-oop.

“I just want us to play hard and be tough,” Stoudamire said. “That’s what everything I’ve done in my life has always been built on. It’s just disappointing.”

Day Day Thomas’ 3 from the left side allowed the Bearcats to enjoy a 40-26 lead with a little more than two minutes to play in the half. Simas Lukosius dropped a 3 of his own before the halftime break, making the score 45-29.

The Bearcats shot 60% in the first 20 minutes. Tech, meanwhile, made only 11-of-33 shots and turned the ball over 10 times.

Tech did little over the first six minutes of the second half to show it had any interest in making a comeback and fell behind 56-36 on another Lukosius 3 with 13:49 left.

The Bearcats cruised from there.

“I have so much respect for Damon Stoudamire and the job he does,” Cincinnati coach Wes Miller said. “I was really worried going into the game because they haven’t had the best start. They didn’t have the best start last year, and all of a sudden they jump up and they beat a Top 25 team and then another. I’m going, ‘Man, they just had a tough loss to Georgia and they’re gonna jump up and play their best basketball.’ I was pleased with our guys’ effort.”

McCollum departs

Tech starting point guard Javian McCollum did not return for the second half Saturday because of injury. Stoudamire said McCollum was held out because of a possible concussion after taking a hit in the first half.

McCollum had five points, two rebounds and two assists against Cincinnati. The senior transfer from Oklahoma has averaged 31 minutes, 14.8 points, 4 rebounds and 3.8 assists through four games this season.

____