N.C. State drops Georgia Tech, 86-65

North Carolina State University

N.C. State drops Georgia Tech, 86-65

N.C. State head coach Sidney Lowe on Feb. 11, 2009.

By Guy Curtright

Feb 14, 2009

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Atlanta — It was just Georgia Tech, but North Carolina State finally showed it could win an ACC game away from the RBC Center.

Now comes the real challenge. The Wolfpack play at No. 3-ranked North Carolina on Wednesday.

N.C. State followed up its home upset of No. 7-ranked Wake Forest with its best road effort of the season Saturday, beating Georgia Tech 86-65 at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

Seven players scored in double figures and the Wolfpack shot 61.4 percent while improving to 4-6 in the ACC and 14-9 overall.

“It’s not easy to win on the road in the ACC,” sophomore point guard Javier Gonzalez said. “This is big for us, with a game at North Carolina next. It gives us confidence going in there.”

“Beating Wake Forest was huge, but winning this game on the road was big, too,” freshman guard C.J. Williams said. “It definitely helps our confidence to play like this on the road.”

Tracy Smith had 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Wolfpack. Gonzalez (14), Courtney Fells (14), Williams (11), Dennis Horner (11) and Brandon Costner (10) were the other double-figure scores for N.C. State.

“I thought we played a very good, solid game,” N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe said. “Anytime you can win on the road in our conference is big. It’s a big deal.”

Freshman guard Iman Shumpert had 14 points to lead Georgia Tech, which fell to 1-10 in the ACC and 10-14 overall with its worst home beating since a 95-63 loss to Duke on Feb. 9, 2002. Gani Lawal, the ACC’s leading rebounder, had just seven points and three boards.

The Yellow Jackets’ cut N.C. State’s 11-point halftime lead to three with an 11-3 run to start the second half. But the Wolfpack countered and led 64-52 with 9:07 left after a 3-point play by Gonzalez.

From there, N.C. State pulled away en route to its first ACC road win after four losses and just its second road victory overall in eight games.

“To come in here and keep our composure the way we did after they made their run is a great accomplishment for our team,” Lowe said.

“We lost a big lead against Virginia Tech and it was almost the same against Wake Forest,” Gonzalez said. “So it was important for us to not let them catch us this time. Their press bothered us for a while, but then I think they got tired.”

Georgia Tech led 11-5 early before the Wolfpack went on a 3-point blitz. N.C. State led by as many as 16 points late in the first half and it was 44-33 at intermission.

N.C. State shot 57.7 percent in the first half, hitting seven 3-pointers. The Wolfpack tried just four 3-pointers in the second half, pounding the ball inside to Smith while making 12 of 18 shots from the floor. N.C. State also hit 16 of 19 free throws in the second half.

“To shoot 61 percent is incredible,” Lowe said of his team’s best shooting game of the season.

Smith, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half. He was 5-for-8 from the floor and 8-for-11 from the foul line overall.

“Tracy has been solid,” Lowe said. “He is in there banging. He’s in there finishing for us, giving us an inside presence. And he did a great job defensively, especially on the ball screens.”

The Wolfpack had to come back from a 10-point deficit in the second half to beat Georgia Tech 76-71 in overtime on Jan. 17 in Raleigh. This time, no late-game heroics were needed.

N.C. State also did it with recruits Richard Howell and Lorenzo Brown watching. “I love Atlanta for recruiting,” said Lowe, who also landed J.J. Hickson a couple years ago.

Atlanta is also the site of the ACC Tournament his year. That is where N.C. State really wants to show it can win away from Raleigh.

Most Recent Comments

RE: N.C. State drops Georgia Tech, 86-65

I think the reason there are so many UNC fans out there is becuase their colors resemble that of a bug zapper. Everyone sees the shiny bright blue and gets lulled in then... zap, UNC fan! Haha, who doesn't love playing follow the crowd when things are going so well?

RE: N.C. State drops Georgia Tech, 86-65

Whoever said that tarhole fans are the worst, needs a PhD. That is so true! Most of their "so called" fans can't even tell you who their point guard is. They like them because they win and because of "that beautiful blue" which is a nice color as long as it doesn't say "carolina" on it. carolina and it's fans suck! What would you idiots be saying if Ga Tech had beaten NCSU by 21 points. Yea, right! So shut up and stay on your own sight. Who knows, you might be sulking Thursday morning! Wouldn't that be a hoot!

RE: N.C. State drops Georgia Tech, 86-65

Too all of the non State fans that have posted that this win is not a big deal-Carolina squeaked out a win at Miami and Duke got schooled. Any ACC win is a good win, right?!

RE: N.C. State drops Georgia Tech, 86-65

come on folks this is GT not Duke or Carolina....
- Posted by BIGDAWGShouse

Yes, but we handed them their worst home lost since 2002, when Duke beat them by 32 points in Atlanta. Tech has lost every ACC game except for beating Wake, but they have been competitive in all of them. This win does say something. State has also been in every game this year. Now they're learning how to finish games.

RE: N.C. State drops Georgia Tech, 86-65

Nice win for the Pack. They are a much better team than their record shows. The game in Chapel Hill Wednesday will be a nail-biter. If the Heels aren't ready to play tonight (Miami) and Wednesday, they will have a short stay atop the ACC standings. I still believe the Pack will finish somewhere between 4th and 6th in the regular season standings. They're playing good basketball right now.

WRAL Sports Fan

North Carolina State University