Tech survives UNC, advances to ACC second round

By Carroll Rogers

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Between having their NCAA tournament hopes come down to Thursday night's game against North Carolina and the speculation swirling around coach Paul Hewitt's future, the Yellow Jackets had a lot on their minds.

In the joyous aftermath of their 62-58 survival against North Carolina, it became clear how the Jackets managed to play through that kind of pressure and endure.

NCAA tournament hopes? What? Derrick Favors, who led Tech with 18 points and nine rebounds, seemed confused by a postgame question about whether Tech's season was riding on Thursday's game.

He was focused on getting a rematch with Maryland, for the buzzer-beating loss Feb. 20. He and the Jackets got their wish and will take on the second-seeded Terrapins at 7 p.m. Friday.

"I wanted to get that game against Maryland again," said Favors, whose shot had given Tech the lead Feb. 20 before Maryland's winning shot. "I tried to do everything I could, so we could win the game [against UNC]."

As for questions whether a disappointing end to this season would have affected Hewitt's job status, the Jackets didn't let that enter into play either. They decided to turn off all their cell phones this week and shut out outside distractions.

"It just made us closer as a unit and focused on staying together," senior D'Andre Bell said.

A loss would have given the Jackets six losses in eight games and a best hope of backing into the tournament. A win Thursday, and the chance for another Friday, means Tech can stake its own tournament claim.

"Win one, we might be in, win two we're definitely in," was Bell's thinking. "I couldn't let this be our last stand as a team. I couldn't let this flat line."

He and the Jackets (20-11) willed a win home, sweeping North Carolina (16-16) in three games for the first time since Tech's 1985 ACC championship team.

Bell made a tough step-back 18-footer to give Tech the lead 58-56 with 4:06 left and helped the Jackets hold on from there.

It was Bell diving for a loose ball at midcourt and falling to his knees when his transition layup wouldn't go down. But he made one of two free throws with 1:28 left to give Tech a five-point cushion.

Gani Lawal had scored on the previous possession with 1:46 left, taking a wobbly pass from Moe Miller, but securing it still and making a key jumper.

His complement inside, Favors, scored eight consecutive points midway through the second half, including back-to-back 3-point plays.

"The game has slowed down for him," Hewitt said of his blossoming young star, who struggled physically and with foul trouble in his first go-around in the ACC. "He's not getting pushed around as much."

Favors picked up two fouls in the first half, but this time didn't leave the game. Tech couldn't afford it on a night like Thursday. He blocked five shots and did his best to hold down Tyler Zeller (17 points) and the interior game of the Tar Heels.

The Jackets trailed by 10 at halftime but used a 7-0 burst coming out of halftime to right themselves. Iman Shumpert, who had shut out in the first half, nailed a 3-pointer from the left wing 16 seconds into the second half. Tech scored on its first three possessions of the half, including once off a Shumpert offensive rebound and on a no-look pass to Lawal for a layup.

"It was just a back-against-the-wall thing," Shumpert said.

Shumpert made another 3-pointer to tie the score 36-36 and complete Tech's comeback from as many as 13 points down.

North Carolina had made a stunning 17-0 run over 7:13 in the first half that put the Tar Heels up 24-13. Of UNC's seven shots from the floor in the run, six were layups. Everything was way too easy for Carolina -- and way too hard for Georgia Tech. But Tech reversed that in the second half.

"Congratulate Georgia Tech," said Roy Williams who likely will miss his first NCAA tournament since his first year at Kansas in 1989. "I think that will help them."