Albany, GA – The No. 5 CGTC Titans defeated No. 4 Albany Technical College 67-64 in a thrilling overtime matchup Tuesday evening in the quarterfinals round of the 2021 Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) Division I men's basketball tournament.
After a 14-day lay-off since their last game, the Titans appeared disheveled on both ends of the court to start the game. Struggling to find the bottom of the basket, the Titans faced a 19-point deficit at the 13:00 mark in the first half, down 25-6 to Albany Tech.
Shaking off their early-game jitters, the Titans were able to find their rhythm on offense following a few productive trips to the charity stripe. With two made 3-point baskets by sophomore guard Truitt Spencer down the stretch, the Titans were able to make a big dent in Albany Tech's lead.
With the momentum shifted in their favor, the Titans went into halftime with an extra edge down only 32-39.
Flipping the switch on their offense in the second half, the Titans had a dramatic spike in their offensive efficiency.
As Dominic Pierce and Shalom Osaba were able to pull down several key defensive rebounds, the Titans were able to quickly get into their transition offense and score on the other end.
With the game tied at 54 with 2:25 remaining in regulation, the score teetered back-and-forth as both teams traded baskets.
Down 60-57 following two made Albany Tech free throws, the Titans were forced to travel the length of the court with :09 left for a chance to tie the game.
Facing tough defensive pressure from Albany Tech, Montavious Terrell dished the ball to Truitt Spencer who knocked down a 3-point buzzer beater over two defenders to force the game into overtime.
With the score tied down the stretch, freshman Almamy Drame came up big for the Titans hitting the game winning 3-point basket with :02 left in overtime.
Truitt Spencer was a force to be reckoned with in the quarterfinals contest. Leading the Titans on offense, Spencer scored a career-high 23 points off 4 of 5 (80%) shooting from the beyond the arc, 6 of 9 (67%) shooting from the field, and 7 of 8 (88%) shooting from the free throw line. Spencer also tallied two rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
Making only 12 of 23 (52%) attempts from the free throw line in the first half, the Titans went 9 of 10 (90%) from the charity stripe in the second half and overtime. The Titans shot 4 of 8 (50%) from behind the arc in the matchup.
With the win, the Titans advance to the GCAA semifinals and will face No. 8 East Georgia State College on Friday, April 9 at 5:00 p.m. As the highest remaining seed, South Georgia State College will host the GCAA semifinals and final games in Waycross, GA. The semifinals and final games will be streamed live online on the GCAA Sports Network powered by JockJive Sports.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, ticket sales for Friday's semifinal game will be limited to 50. Tickets will go on sale Friday at 4:00 p.m. and will be sold on a first come, first serve basis.
