Georgia Tech is Big Apple bound

Four months ago, it would have been have an invitation to a defeat.

Mississippi, playing before a packed house of Hoddy-Toddy-infused Rebels fans, methodically had cut a 14-point lead to four with three minutes left. Plus, the Rebels had the basketball to go with the momentum.

But this postseason version of Georgia Tech (20-15) again refused to wilt under the heat. The Yellow Jackets found a way to get three straight defensive stops, halt the Ole Miss momentum and prevail in a 74-66 win at The Pavilion in the quarterfinal round of the NIT.

The improbable season, which began with the Yellow Jackets picked to finish 14th in the 15-team ACC, will continue as Georgia Tech earns a trip to Madison Square Garden for the NIT Final Four.

The one-two tandem of guard Josh Okogie and junior center Ben Lammers continued to take the lead. Okogie and Lammers combined for 46 points and shot a combined 17-for-28 from the field, with Okogie scoring 26 and Lammers adding 20.

Even more impressive was the Georgia Tech defense, which held the Rebels (22-14) to 39.7 percent from the floor and 6-for-28 (21.4 percent) on 3-pointers. This came against an Ole Miss team that had averaged 88 points in its two previous NIT games, including 85 in the big road win at Syracuse.

Three who mattered

Lammers: The big center was in a physical battle with Ole Miss center Sebastian Saiz all night and had limited points in the paint. Lammers was able to successfully step out and make a series of mid-range jumpers to kill the Ole Miss momentum. Lammers was 9-for-11 from the floor and added four assists, four steals and eight blocked shots.

Okogie: The freshman guard was in attack mode for most of the game and didn’t hesitate to take it to the basket. He was 8-for-17 from the field and 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. He hit four straight free throws in the final two minutes to keep the Rebels at bay. Okogie also had seen rebounds and two assists.

Quinton Stephens: The senior forward air-balled a 3-pointer but was able to silence the catcalls by making two others en route to scoring 10 points. Stephens also had seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. His floor presence and on-court savvy cannot be underestimated.

Turning point

Early in the second half Ole Miss had turned a turnover into a basket to cut the Georgia Tech lead to six points. That’s when Stephens answered with a 3-pointer, knocked away a shot and fed Josh Heath, and Lammers got a slam off a turnover. The 7-0 run returned Georgia Tech’s 13-point lead and gave the Yellow Jackets the breathing room they needed.

Observations

Needing a helping hand: It wasn’t quite as efficient as the second round, when Georgia Tech assisted on its first 23 baskets, but Tuesday’s effort was still quite good. The Yellow Jackets had 21 assists on 27 field goals, a 77.7 percent success rate. The team’s target is 60 percent.

Don’t even think about taking a 3: The Yellow Jackets have shut down the opposition’s 3-point attack for three straight games. Ole Miss was 6-for-28; Terence Davis had five by himself against Syracuse.

Don’t talk about Jackson: After a pair of consistently good games, Tadric Jackson had a tough night. He was 3-for-10 from the floor and 0-for-4 on 3-pointers, with four turnovers. He redeemed himself in the final two minutes, finding Lammers for an open shot and scoring on a layup to help turn Ole Miss away.

Worth mentioning

The 20-win club: Georgia Tech scored its 20th win against Division I competition, the second straight year the Yellow Jackets have accomplished that feat. That hasn’t happened since 2003-04 and 2004-05.

The road warriors: The Yellow Jackets picked a good time to win their third road game of the season. Their only previous victories away from McCamish Pavilion were at N.C. State and at VCU.

The Memphis mafia: Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner was only an hour away from his old stomping grounds. Several friends from his days as the head coach at Memphis were in attendance and visited with him after the game.

They said it

on the significance of 20 wins: “To get to 20 wins and get to New York … it’s a modern miracle. I’m not joking. I’m being serious. I credit the young men, and I credit the coaching staff.”

Pastner on the run to start the second half: “We started well in the second half, and that gave us confidence.”

Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy on Georgia Tech’s effort: “They took the fight to us and made plays that are hard to make.”

Kennedy’s overall thoughts on Georgia Tech: “I was really impressed with Ben Lammers. I was really impressed with Josh Okogie. The rest of their guys stayed in their lanes. We allowed them to shoot 52 percent and their ball movement was excellent and at the end of it they made shots.”

What’s next?

Georgia Tech will play the winner of the UC-Bakersfield vs. Texas-Arlington game in the semifinals Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

This story was originally published March 22, 2017 at 9:03 AM with the headline "Georgia Tech is Big Apple bound."