Baye Ndongo scored 21 points and his dunk with 44 seconds remaining pushed Georgia Tech ahead for good as the Yellow Jackets beat No. 7 Duke 72-68 on Saturday, handing the Blue Devils their second loss this week to an unranked team.
Miles Kelly had 16 points and Kowacie Reeves Jr. had 14 points for Georgia Tech (4-2, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference).
Duke (5-3, 0-1) trailed most of the game, but the Blue Devils — who lost 80-75 on Wednesday at Arkansas — took a brief lead late before falling.
Jeremy Roach paced Duke with 20 points, and Kyle Filipowski and Caleb Foster added 12 each.
Georgia Tech opened quickly, hitting 3-pointers on four of its first six possessions while Duke made its first shot and then missed its next nine as the Yellow Jackets built a 14-3 lead.
The Yellow Jackets led 35-31 at halftime, and moved to an 11-point lead before the Blue Devils began whittling away.
HISTORY AT MCCAMISH
Georgia Tech has some history against Duke at McCamish Pavilion. The Yellow Jackets beat the Blue Devils 81-77 in overtime on March 2, 2021, all but clinching an NCAA Tournament bid — which Tech verified days later by winning the ACC Tournament under former head coach Josh Pastner.
BIG PICTURE
Duke: With Wednesday’s loss at Arkansas and Saturday’s largely uneven showing, the Blue Devils will slip out of the top 10.
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets appear significantly improved, and the idea of returning to the NCAA Tournament is real.
UP NEXT
Duke: The Blue Devils will be off for a week before playing host to Charlotte next Saturday.
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets travel east Tuesday to face in-state rival Georgia.
