ATLAS –Miles Kelly knocked down a floating layup with 4.1 seconds left to break a tie of 57, lifting Georgia Tech to a 59-57 win over city rival Georgia State on Saturday night at the GSU Convocation Center.
The game-winning shot from Kelly, a sophomore from Stone Mountain, Georgia, capped a 15-point night that included a pair of big three-pointers late in the second half. It gave the Yellow Jackets their first 2-0 start since the 2019-20 season and a triumph in their first home game for the Panthers since 2007.
He also avoided a third overtime game in the last three years between the two teams. Tech shared the first two games, giving up a 123-120 contest, four overtimes in 2020, and winning 72-62 in overtime last season, both of which were played at McCamish Pavilion, the home arena of the Yellow Jackets.
Both teams played slow on offense in the first half, which ended with the Panthers leading by one, 26-25, but regained their footing after intermission. GSU big man Ja-Heim Hudson scored 14 of his game-high 23 points in the second period and helped the Panthers open their biggest lead at 42-35 with 12:17 to go.
Tech fought back to level the score at 47-all on Kelly’s first-of-three at 7:29, and scored the next eight to forge their biggest advantage at 55-47 with 2:50 remaining. Kelly nailed his three second and fellow sophomore Jalon Moore scored five points during the run.
True to form, the Panthers scored the next seven points to go one point closer to 55-54 with 59 seconds left. Moore made two more free throws for a 57-54 Tech lead with 36 seconds left, but GSU’s Brenden Tucker drove for a layup and was fouled, making the tying free throw with 26 seconds left. to do.
Kelly then brought the ball to the floor, brought the clock down in less than 10 seconds, then made his move against Dwon Odom of the Panthers, passing him on the right side of the lane and floating his bank shot from the glass for the head. Georgia State put the ball in the front court after a time out, but lost control of it when time expired.
Deebo Coleman led the Yellow Jackets with 16 points, setting career highs from the free throw line (9 of 13), while Moore finished the game with seven points and seven rebounds.
Jamaine Mann (13 points) and Odom (10) also hit double numbers for Georgia State.
Tech returns home for its next game Thursday at 8 p.m. against Northern Illinois at the McCamish Pavilion. The game will be televised on the ACC Network.
