If Georgia Tech has been a little lukewarm this non-conference portion of its schedule, count the finale a scorching warm-up for what’s to come in ACC play.
Tech needed a Trae Golden 3-pointer with 3.6 seconds left to hold off Charlotte 58-55 on Sunday night.
Behind Golden’s 24 points, the Yellow Jackets (9-4) imposed just enough will on the Charlotte 49ers early in the second half and late at Halton Arena.
Charlotte rallied from eight points down in the final 1:09 on a pair of free throws and two 3-pointers, including Shawn Lester’s game-tying make from the top of the key with 10.6 seconds left to tie the game 55-55.
Charlotte got one final chance, and the 49ers’ Pierria Henry made a contested 3-pointer which would have tied the game as time expired, but the shot left his hand after the buzzer sounded it. Referees used video replay to confirm it and waved off the basket.
The Yellow Jackets wrapped up their non-conference schedule with their second of four straight games on the road. Next up, they’re at Maryland and at Duke. Georgia Tech has nothing left on the horizon now but ACC play. Ready or not, here it comes.
Golden, who played the past three seasons in the SEC for Tennessee, might be the most eager to get his first crack at the newly-expanded power conference. Tech’s senior guard warmed up for it with 24 points to lead the Yellow Jackets Sunday night.
His two free throws with 22 seconds left helped Tech hold off a furious finish from the 49ers, who forced Tech into three turnovers against the press in the final 58 seconds.
The third of those steals wound up in the hands of Charlotte’s Shawn Lester who hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 10.6 seconds left to tie the game 55-55.
In their previous game, a loss at Vanderbilt before the holiday break, Robert Carter Jr. and Marcus Georges-Hunt had combined for eight points on 3-for-15 shooting. Sunday night they chipped with 18 points on 9-for-16 shooting.
Tech had to show a little toughness midway through the second half, after a Robert Carter Jr. limped off in the second half with what appeared to be a sore left knee and Trae Golden cramped up, spending a three-minute period, stretching and pounding sports drinks on the Tech bench.
The Yellow Jackets moved to 7-1 all-time vs. Charlotte (8-4).
The 49ers cut Tech’s lead to three points, 44-41, with 6:14 left after Terrence Williams hit a 3-pointer to give Charlotte only its second 3-pointer in 14 attempts.
But Tech made enough big plays coming down the stretch to hold them off, including two of Golden’s three 3-pointers and a baseline jumper from Georges-Hunt.
After leading by a tentative three at halftime, 27-24, Georgia Tech came out with more determination in the second. They dumped it down inside to Robert Carter Jr. and Daniel Miller on consecutive possessions to set the tone. Then Georges-Hunt drained an outside jumper and complementing it with a monster drive and two-handed dunk to give Tech a 32-24 lead.
With 49ers coach Alan Major calling for a timeout, Golden was giving Georges-Hunt a hand-stinging high-five and “attaboy” as the Yellow Jackets had taken their first real momentum of the game.
Tech started showing a little mid-range game as well with both Miller and Georges-Hunt sinking 15 foot jumpers.
If Tech was a little skeptical as to which 49er team it would see Sunday night – the one that upset then No. 14 Michigan to win the Puerto Rico Tip-off or the one that lost by 44 to Florida State, they the tough matchup at Halton Arena.
Georgia Tech is still doing some searching offensively, with Golden, a combo guard, forced into most of the ball-handling duties and Tech trying to find some consistent contributions otherwise on the perimeter.
Senior wing Jason Morris got his first start of the year, in place of Chris Bolden. He’d played only seven minutes combined in his first two games back from foot surgery, after missing the team’s first 11 games of the season.
Carter Jr., who scored only five points in the loss at Vanderbilt, came out active with eight points on 4-of-6 shooting in the first half. After seven lead changes in the first half, Tech held onto a 27-24 advantage at halftime, despite giving the 49ers one final shot on a Golden backcourt violation.
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