Would be very nice to get a home win today as two out-going coaches do battle.
———————————
NC State 79
Georgia Tech 74
(Link)
NC State now has five ACC wins for the season with two games remaining on the schedule. It isn’t what we hoped for when the season kicked off under the mantra of “The Stage is Set”…but, it isn’t the absolute unmitigated disaster it was looking to be the night of the Wisconsin debacle.
Scott Wood’s 20 points helped N.C. State to a 79-74 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday at the RBC Center.
Coming off disappointing losses to Maryland and North Carolina, the Pack got its fifth ACC win of the season but the Yellow Jackets made them earn it.Every time State (15-13, 5-9 ACC) got hot and stretched out the lead, Georgia Tech answered back. It wasn’t until Wood’s steal and layup with 1:51 left that the Pack could breathe easy.
Tracy Smith added a free throw with 51.9 left to ensure the win, State’s 12th in 13 home games against the Jackets. GT (11-17, 3-11) remains winless on the road this season (0-10) despite 21 points from Iman Shumpert.
State led by 10, 11, 12 and nine at different points in the game but couldn’t put away the Jackets. Shumpert had 15 points in the first 24 minutes then went more than 8 minutes without a field goal attempt and almost 13 minutes between field goals.
State got Smith loose in the post against an over-matched Daniel Miller. Lorenzo Brown added 13 for the Pack.
Brown came out firing for State with three 3s in the first 4 minutes. He hadn’t made more than one 3 in a game this season since the opener on Nov. 12.
