Halftime Report

Georgia Tech is on the road but looking no worse for wear. After one quarter, neither squad has the contest in the bag, but Georgia Tech leads 39-37 over Penn State.

Georgia Tech came into the match with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.

Who's Playing

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Penn State Nittany Lions

Current Records: Georgia Tech 5-3, Penn State 5-5

How To Watch

What to Know

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will take on the Penn State Nittany Lions in a holiday battle at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at at Madison Square Garden. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

One look at the score and it should come as no surprise that Georgia Tech was far and away the favorite against Alabama A&M. Everything went the Yellow Jackets' way against the Bulldogs on Saturday as the Yellow Jackets made off with a 70-49 victory. Winning is a bit easier when you work as a team to post 11 more assists than your opponent, as Georgia Tech did.

Among those leading the charge was Kowacie Reeves Jr., who dropped a double-double on 20 points and ten rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. Tyzhaun Claude was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with nine rebounds.

Meanwhile, Penn State's five-game losing streak finally came to an end on Saturday. They skirted past the Buckeyes 83-80. The win was all the more spectacular given Penn State was down 18 points with 15:30 left in the second half.

Penn State's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Leo O'Boyle led the charge by scoring 15 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points O'Boyle has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of D'Marco Dunn, who scored 16 points along with three steals.

The Yellow Jackets' win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-3. As for the Nittany Lions, the win got them back to even at 5-5.

Saturday's matchup is shaping up to be a scrappy matchup: Georgia Tech have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 41.5 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Penn State, though, as they've been averaging only 32.8 rebounds per game. Given Georgia Tech's sizeable advantage in that area, Penn State will need to find a way to close that gap.

Georgia Tech is hoping to beat the odds on Saturday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss.

Odds

Penn State is a 3.5-point favorite against Georgia Tech, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The line has drifted a bit towards the Nittany Lions, as the game opened with the Nittany Lions as a 2-point favorite.


The over/under is set at 148 points.

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Series History

Penn State won the only game these two teams have played in the last 7 years.

  • Nov 29, 2016 - Penn State 67 vs. Georgia Tech 60

Injury Report for Penn State

  • Demetrius Lilley: gameTimeDecision (Undisclosed)
  • Favour Aire: out (Hand)
  • Jameel Brown: out (Foot)

Injury Report for Georgia Tech

  • Lance Terry: gameTimeDecision (Calf)