Nevada tops Georgia Tech 72-64 to win Diamond Head Classic championship
AP
Dec 25, 2023
HONOLULU (AP) Kenan Blackshear finished with 30 points and Jarod Lucas scored 20 to lead Nevada Wolf Pack to a 72-64 victory over Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the championship game of the Diamond Head Classic on Sunday night.
Blackshear made 11 of 14 shots from the floor and 8 of 11 from the free-throw line for the Wolf Pack (12-1), who have won five in a row. Lucas sank 7 of 13 shots, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Nick Davidson pitched in with nine points and eight rebounds.
Baye Ndongo totaled 20 points and eight rebounds to pace the Yellow Jackets (8-4), who had a four-game win streak snapped. Miles Kelly scored 10 on 3-for-15 shooting, including 1 for 9 from distance. Georgia Tech has not won five in a row since November 2021.
Lucas sank two 3-pointers and scored 10, Blackshear scored nine and hit a jumper with one second left to give Nevada a 36-30 lead at halftime. Kelly and Ndongo both had eight points at the half for Georgia Tech.
The Wolf Pack maintained the lead throughout the second half although Georgia Tech closed within a point on three occasions. Kowacie Reeves Jr. had a three-point play to pull the Yellow Jackets within 64-62 with 2:38 left to play. Blackshear nailed a jumper at the 1:20 mark and hit two free throws with 37 seconds to go to push Nevada's lead to two possessions.
Nevada won its third tournament under coach Steve Alford - also winning the 2019 Paradise Jam and the 2021 Crossover Classic.
The Yellow Jackets, under first-year coach Damon Stoudamire, were looking to win a tournament for the first time since the 2003 Preseason NIT. Stoudamire lost all four matchups with Nevada while he was the coach of the Pacific Tigers, prior to taking the Georgia Tech job.
In the only other meeting between the schools, Georgia Tech beat Nevada in the semifinal of the 2004 St. Louis Regional in the NCAA Tournament.
Georgia Tech is off until Jan. 3 when the Yellow Jackets travel to play Florida State in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup. Nevada returns home to play Fresno Pacific on Saturday.
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1st Half
NEV
Wolf Pack
36
GT
Yellow Jackets
30
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Nick Davidson vs. Tafara Gapare (Yellow Jackets gains possession)
19:41
+3
Kowacie Reeves Jr. makes three point jump shot (Miles Kelly assists)
0-3
19:14
Jarod Lucas misses two point jump shot
19:12
Baye Ndongo defensive rebound
18:58
Miles Kelly misses three point jump shot
18:56
Jarod Lucas defensive rebound
18:47
Kenan Blackshear turnover (bad pass) (Kowacie Reeves Jr. steals)
18:30
Naithan George misses two point jump shot
18:28
Nick Davidson defensive rebound
18:13
Tre Coleman turnover (bad pass) (Naithan George steals)
18:06
Miles Kelly misses two point jump shot
18:04
Jarod Lucas defensive rebound
17:44
Kenan Blackshear misses three point jump shot
17:42
Kowacie Reeves Jr. defensive rebound
17:18
Naithan George misses three point jump shot
17:16
Kenan Blackshear defensive rebound
17:08
+2
Nick Davidson makes two point jump shot
2-3
16:46
Miles Kelly offensive foul
16:46
Miles Kelly turnover (offensive foul)
16:32
+2
Kenan Blackshear makes two point layup
4-3
16:32
Tyzhaun Claude shooting foul (Kenan Blackshear draws the foul)
16:32
+1
Kenan Blackshear makes regular free throw 1 of 1
5-3
16:20
+3
Kowacie Reeves Jr. makes three point jump shot (Miles Kelly assists)
5-6
16:08
Nick Davidson misses three point jump shot
16:06
Miles Kelly defensive rebound
15:56
Kowacie Reeves Jr. misses two point jump shot
15:54
Tyzhaun Claude offensive rebound
15:48
+3
Miles Kelly makes three point jump shot (Tyzhaun Claude assists)
5-9
15:27
Nick Davidson misses two point jump shot
15:25
Naithan George defensive rebound
15:19
+2
Naithan George makes two point jump shot
5-11
15:00
+2
Daniel Foster makes two point jump shot
7-11
14:30
Naithan George misses two point jump shot
14:28
Kenan Blackshear defensive rebound
14:22
Kenan Blackshear turnover (lost ball)
14:08
Tafara Gapare misses two point layup
14:06
Kenan Blackshear defensive rebound
13:57
+3
Jarod Lucas makes three point jump shot (Nick Davidson assists)
10-11
13:39
+2
Naithan George makes two point jump shot
10-13
13:18
+3
Jarod Lucas makes three point jump shot (Kenan Blackshear assists)
13-13
12:54
Tafara Gapare misses three point jump shot
12:52
Daniel Foster defensive rebound
12:46
Tre Coleman misses two point jump shot
12:44
Nick Davidson offensive rebound
12:36
Jarod Lucas misses three point jump shot
12:34
Tafara Gapare defensive rebound
12:19
Miles Kelly misses three point jump shot
12:17
Tre Coleman defensive rebound
12:08
+3
Nick Davidson makes three point jump shot (Kenan Blackshear assists)
16-13
12:07
Yellow Jackets 30 second timeout
12:07
TV timeout
11:50
Kyle Sturdivant misses two point jump shot
11:48
Baye Ndongo offensive rebound
11:34
Kyle Sturdivant misses three point jump shot
11:32
Tylan Pope defensive rebound
11:16
Baye Ndongo shooting foul (K.J. Hymes draws the foul)
11:15
TV timeout
11:15
K.J. Hymes misses regular free throw 1 of 2
11:15
+1
K.J. Hymes makes regular free throw 2 of 2
17-13
10:50
+2
Baye Ndongo makes two point jump shot
17-15
10:31
Tylan Pope misses two point jump shot
10:29
Baye Ndongo defensive rebound
10:17
+2
Baye Ndongo makes two point layup (Kyle Sturdivant assists)
17-17
9:56
+2
Jarod Lucas makes two point jump shot
19-17
9:42
Kowacie Reeves Jr. turnover (traveling)
9:28
+2
Kenan Blackshear makes two point jump shot
21-17
9:10
K.J. Hymes blocks Deebo Coleman's two point layup
9:10
Wolf Pack defensive rebound
8:58
Kenan Blackshear misses two point jump shot
8:56
Wolf Pack offensive rebound
8:42
+2
Kenan Blackshear makes two point jump shot
23-17
8:27
+3
Deebo Coleman makes three point jump shot (Miles Kelly assists)
23-20
8:04
Kenan Blackshear turnover (out of bounds)
7:51
Tafara Gapare misses three point jump shot
7:49
Nick Davidson defensive rebound
7:32
Tre Coleman misses three point jump shot
7:30
Miles Kelly defensive rebound
7:22
+2
Miles Kelly makes two point jump shot
23-22
7:08
+3
Hunter McIntosh makes three point jump shot (Tre Coleman assists)
26-22
6:55
Kenan Blackshear shooting foul (Baye Ndongo draws the foul)
6:55
TV timeout
6:55
+1
Baye Ndongo makes regular free throw 1 of 2
26-23
6:55
+1
Baye Ndongo makes regular free throw 2 of 2
26-24
6:42
+3
Hunter McIntosh makes three point jump shot (Kenan Blackshear assists)
29-24
6:22
Miles Kelly turnover (lost ball) (Kenan Blackshear steals)
6:14
Hunter McIntosh misses three point jump shot
6:12
Daniel Foster offensive rebound
6:02
Tre Coleman misses three point jump shot
6:00
Deebo Coleman defensive rebound
5:36
Deebo Coleman misses three point jump shot
5:34
Wolf Pack defensive rebound
5:21
Kenan Blackshear misses two point layup
5:19
Baye Ndongo defensive rebound
5:15
Hunter McIntosh personal foul
4:58
+2
Baye Ndongo makes two point dunk (Deebo Coleman assists)
29-26
4:28
Nick Davidson misses three point jump shot
4:26
Miles Kelly defensive rebound
4:20
Daniel Foster shooting foul (Miles Kelly draws the foul)
4:20
Miles Kelly misses regular free throw 1 of 2
4:20
+1
Miles Kelly makes regular free throw 2 of 2
29-27
4:03
Baye Ndongo shooting foul (Daniel Foster draws the foul)
4:03
Daniel Foster misses regular free throw 1 of 2
4:03
+1
Daniel Foster makes regular free throw 2 of 2
30-27
3:49
Miles Kelly misses three point jump shot
3:48
Tyzhaun Claude offensive rebound
3:48
Daniel Foster shooting foul (Tyzhaun Claude draws the foul)
3:48
TV timeout
3:48
Tyzhaun Claude misses regular free throw 1 of 2
3:48
+1
Tyzhaun Claude makes regular free throw 2 of 2
30-28
3:27
+2
Nick Davidson makes two point jump shot
32-28
3:05
Tyzhaun Claude turnover (bad pass) (Kenan Blackshear steals)
2:45
Tre Coleman turnover (lost ball) (Naithan George steals)
2:32
+2
Miles Kelly makes two point layup
32-30
2:17
+2
Jarod Lucas makes two point jump shot
34-30
1:53
Miles Kelly turnover (bad pass) (Nick Davidson steals)
1:39
Jarod Lucas misses two point jump shot
1:37
Kowacie Reeves Jr. defensive rebound
1:18
Kowacie Reeves Jr. turnover (bad pass)
1:17
Wolf Pack 30 second timeout
1:03
Kenan Blackshear turnover (bad pass)
0:44
Baye Ndongo turnover (3-second violation)
0:18
Tylan Pope misses three point jump shot
0:16
Jarod Lucas offensive rebound
0:01
+2
Kenan Blackshear makes two point jump shot
36-30
0:00
End of period
2nd Half
NEV
Wolf Pack
36
GT
Yellow Jackets
34
Time
Team
Play
Score
19:46
Nick Davidson offensive foul
19:46
Nick Davidson turnover (offensive foul)
19:20
+2
Baye Ndongo makes two point layup
36-32
19:10
Tafara Gapare personal foul
18:48
Baye Ndongo blocks Jarod Lucas's two point layup
18:46
Baye Ndongo defensive rebound
18:43
Miles Kelly misses two point layup
18:42
Tre Coleman shooting foul (Miles Kelly draws the foul)
18:42
Miles Kelly misses regular free throw 1 of 2
18:42
+1
Miles Kelly makes regular free throw 2 of 2
36-33
18:29
Nick Davidson offensive foul
18:29
Nick Davidson turnover (offensive foul)
18:16
Kowacie Reeves Jr. misses three point jump shot
18:14
Wolf Pack defensive rebound
17:58
+2
Kenan Blackshear makes two point jump shot
38-33
17:34
+2
Baye Ndongo makes two point layup
38-35
17:17
Jarod Lucas misses three point jump shot
17:15
Nick Davidson offensive rebound
17:09
Daniel Foster misses three point jump shot
17:07
Nick Davidson offensive rebound
17:03
Baye Ndongo shooting foul (Daniel Foster draws the foul)
17:03
+1
Daniel Foster makes regular free throw 1 of 3
39-35
17:03
Daniel Foster misses regular free throw 2 of 3
17:03
Daniel Foster misses regular free throw 3 of 3
17:03
Kowacie Reeves Jr. defensive rebound
16:42
Kowacie Reeves Jr. misses two point layup
16:40
Tyzhaun Claude offensive rebound
16:36
Tyzhaun Claude misses two point layup
16:34
Kenan Blackshear defensive rebound
16:26
Tre Coleman turnover (out of bounds)
16:14
Miles Kelly misses three point jump shot
16:12
Tre Coleman defensive rebound
16:04
Tre Coleman misses three point jump shot
16:02
Deebo Coleman defensive rebound
15:57
Deebo Coleman turnover (bad pass)
15:57
TV timeout
15:36
Tyzhaun Claude personal foul
15:33
+2
Jarod Lucas makes two point jump shot (Tyler Rolison assists)
41-35
14:59
+2
Tyzhaun Claude makes two point dunk (Naithan George assists)
41-37
14:53
Tyzhaun Claude personal foul
14:45
Tyler Rolison misses three point jump shot
14:43
Tylan Pope offensive rebound
14:34
+3
Jarod Lucas makes three point jump shot (Tylan Pope assists)
44-37
14:21
Tylan Pope personal foul
14:13
Miles Kelly misses three point jump shot
14:11
Tre Coleman defensive rebound
14:07
Miles Kelly personal foul
13:48
K.J. Hymes misses two point layup
13:46
Deebo Coleman defensive rebound
13:29
+3
Kyle Sturdivant makes three point jump shot (Naithan George assists)
44-40
13:07
Tre Coleman turnover (bad pass) (Baye Ndongo steals)
