ATLANTA – Georgia Tech overcame North Carolina, 19-6, in the last seven minutes to deliver Tar Heels a 72-67 defeat on Wednesday night, marking the first time in seven years that Roy Williams’ program opened the ACC game with back-to-back losses.
UNC (5-4, 0-2 ACC) had a 61-53 lead on Leaky Black’s layup with 6:53 to play, crowning a 12-1 series that shifted momentum back to the visiting team’s sideline . However, it was all Yellow Jackets from that point on, with Josh Pastner’s team making six of their last seven field goal attempts, keeping Tar Heels in 2 of 9 straight shots and forcing two turns.
Georgia Tech guards Michael Devoe and Jose Alvarado set the game’s record with 20 points each, while Armando Bacot scored the UNC with 14 points out of 5 out of 8 shots. Black was the only other Tar Heel in double digits with 10 points out of 5 out of 7 shots. Garrison Brooks added nine points and 11 rebounds.
For the second time in three games, Kerwin Walton launched daggers of the three-point range after the break to fuel a Tar Heel race. The freshman winger made a trio of three in an interval of five possessions to turn a tied game into a five-point UNC advantage.
UNC threw 44.6 percent off the ground and made a record eight of three points in 20 attempts, although it was not enough to make up for 18 turns. The Yellow Jackets hit 52.9 percent of the ground, including 61.5 percent after the break, and 45.5 percent from long distance.
Tar Heels beat his opponent 37-25.
Turnovers ruin UNC’s chances again
Tar Heels played as the best team throughout the first half. They helped with most of the field goals made, hit the low ball and attacked the pass lines on the defensive end. Even so, his ability to turn the ball in a variety of ways kept Georgia Tech within attack distance.
When Jose Alvarado scored in a layup to cut Georgia Tech’s deficit to 28-26 with 2:39 remaining in the first half, UNC had as many turns as he had field goals (10).
Georgia Tech finally started exploring the Tar Heels ball screens with its short schedule after the break. UNC never addressed their turnover issues, however, providing the Yellow Jackets with many opportunities to come together for their first ACC victory.
Georgia Tech scored 19 points in the 18 turns of the UNC. The Tar Heels delivered the ball with 26.5% of the ball.
New initial lineup
Roy Williams rarely loses to NC State – he has only lost five times in 42 games against Wolfpack – so it should come as no surprise that such a loss would lead to a drastic change in the UNC starting lineup. Williams debuted with three freshmen for the first time since 2007, when Kerwin Walton, Day’Ron Sharpe and Andrew Platek joined Armando Bacot and RJ Davis for the tip.
The most notable absence was ACC’s Pre-Season Player of the Year, Garrison Brooks, who started every game – with the exception of Senior Night last season – since the final game of his 2017-18 freshman season. Platek made his tenth career start.
No initial deficit
If the change in the starting lineup brought anything, it is that Tar Heels grabbed the lead at the beginning and did not start in the first half. Wednesday marked the first time since the season opened that the UNC had not lost in the first half, after losing double digits in the first half in six of the previous seven games.
Tar Heels led 35-29 at the break, which represented his second break in the break in the last seven games.
Next
UNC will stay on the road for a third game in a row when traveling to Miami on January 5. Hurricanes are 4-3 (0-2 ACC) after losing to Virginia Tech 80-78 on Tuesday. Tar Heels was scheduled to play Syracuse on January 2 on his ACC home debut, but the game was delayed due to problems with COVID-19 under the Orange program.