ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Marcus Georges-Hunt had 11 points and nine rebounds to lead Georgia Tech to a 54-36 victory over Rice on Thursday night in an opening-round game of the DirecTV Classic.
Georgia Tech (3-0) opened the second half with a 13-3 run, including a 12-footer and a 3-pointer by Brandon Reed 32 seconds apart. Georges-Hunt, a freshman, capped the rally on a pair of free throws, giving the Yellow Jackets a 38-22 lead with 15:11 remaining.
Rice (1-3) went 7:36 without a field goal during that stretch, which was sandwiched by 3-pointers from Owls reserve guard Austin Ramljak. The junior, who grew up in nearby Thousand Oaks and began his collegiate career at Ventura College, led the Owls with 18 points and shot 6 for 12 from the field - all of his shots coming from 3-point range.
Cal will meet Georgia Tech in the semifinals on Friday night. Drake will face Rice in the consolation bracket.
