ATLANTA -- It took three tries, but Georgia Tech finally has a victory against an in-state opponent.
Iman Shumpert scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Daniel Miller had a career-best 14 points as Georgia Tech defeated Savannah State 69-59 on Saturday to snap a three-game losing streak.
Georgia Tech (5-4) bounced back from a 73-72 loss to rival Georgia on Tuesday. The Yellow Jackets were stunned by Kennesaw State early this season, losing 80-63.
The Yellow Jackets didn't get any points from its bench, but placed four players in double figures. Brian Oliver had 17 points and Mfon Udofia scored 12 for Georgia Tech, which led by as many as 21 points in the first half.
The Tigers pulled within seven points in the first part of the second half and then cut the lead to six in the final minute.
"There was clearly a lapse in intensity in the second half," Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt said.
Jovanni Shuler scored a game-high 26 points and had eight rebounds, but it wasn't enough to save Savannah State (1-10) from its 10th consecutive loss. Joshua Montgomery had 12 points and nine rebounds, while Preston Blackmon had six assists to go with 10 points.
The Yellow Jackets had their lead cut to 51-44 as Savannah State ran off 13 consecutive points over a 4-minute stretch in the first part of the second half. But Miller hit two foul shots, scored off a rebound and made a basket inside as Georgia Tech pushed the lead back to 58-44 with 8:12 remaining.
The 6-foot-11 redshirt freshman had nine rebounds and scored 10 of his points in the second half.
"I was more aggressive in the second half," Miller said. "I felt like I wanted to get after it."
"I was glad to see Dan have another strong performance," Hewitt said.
The Tigers got back to 63-57 with 53 seconds remaining before the Yellow Jackets put them away for good as Oliver and Maurice Miller, who had nine points, both hit two foul shots.
Georgia Tech won despite shooting 35.1 percent and being outrebounded 43-34. The Yellow Jackets had only six turnovers to 22 for Savannah State and were 26-for-36 at the foul line.
Glen Rice Jr., averaging 11.5 points, played just 10 points and didn't score in his first non-start for the Yellow Jackets this season.
Leading just 12-10 after six minutes, Georgia Tech took over with a 22-5 run that ended with 10 straight points. At halftime, the lead was 44-26 and Savannah State had 14 turnovers.
Shumpert had 14 points and eight rebounds in the first half. Rice scored 11 points and Udofia, who was 2-for-2 from behind the 3-point arc, had 10 by intermission. Georgia Tech was 13-for-16 at the foul line in the first half.
The Yellow Jackets take a break for fall semester exams and don't play again until next Saturday, when they face Richmond in the Bahamas.
Although Savannah State is winless since an opening victory over Brewton-Parker, the Tigers have played plenty of close games. They lost to Dayton and Fairfield by two points, to Stetson by five, to Mt. Saint Mary by six and Western Illinois by seven.
"We have a young program," Tigers coach Horace Broadnax said. " We have a short tank. We need to get out of the gate better. It takes energy to come back."
Sunday
June 15th, 2025
12:18PM
