Georgia Tech barely made it across the finish line, but got there first.
Perplexed by Ole Miss’ variety of defensive looks in the second half — a season-long weapon in the Yellow Jackets’ holster — Tech survived the Rebels’ comeback effort to win its NIT quarterfinal 74-66 on Tuesday night at the Pavilion at Ole Miss.
After lighting up Ole Miss in the first 20 minutes and taking a 39-30 halftime lead, Tech went through a stretch in which it scored two points in a nine-possession stretch, play that helped the Rebels cut the lead to four points on three separate instances in the final minutes.
But the Jackets came up with enough answers to secure the school’s second trip to the NIT semifinals, next Tuesday in New York’s Madison Square Garden. Guard Josh Okogie led the Jackets with 26 points on 8-for-17 shooting and 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. Center Ben Lammers backed his status as ACC defensive player of the year, blocking eight shots and coming up with four steals to go with 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting.
In defeating the Rebels, Tech met another challenge — winning on the road. The Jackets entered the game with a 2-11 record away from McCamish Pavilion, including eight consecutive defeats. A team that was expected to be among the weaker power-conference teams in the country will extend its season into the final days of the postseason.
Tech moves to the NIT semifinals for the first time since 1971. The Jackets will play the winner of Wednesday’s quarterfinal between Cal State-Bakersfield and Texas-Arlington. The Jackets improved their record to 20-15, their second 20-win season in a row and their third in the past 10 years.
Ole Miss (22-14), which has thrived this season by getting to the free-throw line, attempted just eight free throws, 18 below its season average.
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