HONOLULU, HI – Massachusetts (6-3) fell in a heartbreaker to Georgia Tech (7-3) on Thursday evening in Simplifi Arena At Stan Sheriff Center. The Minutemen led by as much as 11 points on two separate occasions in the second half but allowed Georgia Tech back into the game in the final four minutes of play.
The Minutemen disrupted the Yellow Jacket offense, forcing 21 turnovers while recording a season-high 16 steals. The performance marks the first time since Jan. 13, 2021, vs. Rhode Island (OT) that a Massachusetts squad has swiped 15-plus steals in a single game. Three Minutemen, Matt Cross (four), Rahsool Diggins (four), and Jayden Ndjigue (five) recorded four-plus steals on the day.
The steal totals mark a career-high for both Diggins and Ndjigue.
Matt Cross led the way for Massachusetts both offensively and on the glass. The Beverly, Massachusetts native scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds, including six on the offensive glass.
Rahsool Diggins continued to offer a spark from beyond the arc, scoring 15 points while going 5-for-10 from three-point range.
The Yellow Jackets were led by Kyle Sturdivant, who tallied 21 points on the night.
Breaking Down The Action
- A Matt Cross three-pointer off of a Josh Cohen assist gave the Minutemen their first basket of the game making it 3-2, at the 19:10 mark.
- The Minutemen jumped out to an early 13-6 lead after a Rahsool Diggins three-point basket with 16:42 remaining in the first half.
- An emphatic fast-break dunk from Keon Thompson boosted the lead to 15-6 just after the under-16 media timeout.
- Massachusetts got its lead as high as nine points after a Robert Davis Jr three-point basket with 11:19 to go in the first half.
- Two free throws from Kyle Sturdivant scored 28-29, giving Georgia Tech its first lead since it claimed a 2-0 advantage in the opening seconds of action.
- A buzzer-beater from Sturdivant gave the Yellow Jackets a 31-37 advantage after the first half.
- Two layups from Jayden Ndjigue capped a 12-0 run for the Minutemen to begin the second half, taking a 43-39 lead at the 16:49 mark.
- Massachusetts elevated the scoring run to 23-4, capping the stretch with three free throws from Davis Jr. with 13:14 remaining, claiming a 54-43 advantage.
- A made layup from Josh Cohen gave UMass another 11-point lead (61-50) with 9:02 left on the clock, matching its highest lead of the night.
- Georgia Tech cut the Massachusetts lead to 64-60 after a pull-up jump shot from Sturdivant at the 3:40 mark of the second half.
- The Yellow Jackets took a 67-69 lead with 2:01 in regulation.
- Rashool Diggins brought the deficit to 70-71 after a three-point make with nine seconds on the clock.
- Georgia Tech made two free-throws in the final seconds of regulation winning, 70-73.
New Kids On The Block
- Jayden Ndijgue set new career highs in points (11) and steals (five) while grabbing four rebounds.
- Cohen scored in double-digits for the eighth time this season, scoring 10 points while recording three rebounds and two assists.
- Davis Jr. tallied six points, including a perfect 3-3 from the free-throw line.
Numbers To Know
- 5: Diggins shot 50% from three-point range, going 5-for-10 behind the stripe.
- 11: The highest lead of the game for the Minutemen.
- 17: Second change points for Massachusetts, holding a 17-12 advantage in the category.
- 21: Total turnovers forced by the Minutemen.
Year Two Under Coach Martin
- Massachusetts Head Coach Frank Martin holds a current 21-19 record leading the Minutemen.
- Martin now sits with a 309-220 collegiate career record.
Series History
- UMass now holds a 1-1 record all-time versus the Yellow Jackets.
Up Next
- Massachusetts continues its holiday in Hawaii as it challenges either Hawaii or Portland in the second game of the Diamond Head Classic. The broadcast with links can be heard live on the ESPN family of networks, and live updates are available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).
