RALEIGH – Georgia Tech has its third road win, Brian Gregory has his first ACC victory and Kammeon Holsey has reservations for the cold tub.
"I’m going to wake up kind of sore [Thursday]," said the Tech forward.
The Jackets tugged and tussled for an 82-71 win over N.C. State Wednesday night, using defensive grit and timely shotmaking to snap a four-game losing streak. Picked to finish 10th in the ACC, Tech has now produced to consecutive eyebrow-raising results – a seven-point loss to Duke last Saturday in which the Jackets trailed by two points with less than a minute to play and a win at the RBC Center, where Tech had won once in its previous 10 visits.
Tech (8-8 overall, 1-1 ACC) gained the advantage with a 19-3 run in the first half and then fended off the Wolfpack (12-5, 1-1) in a feisty second half for the win. The Jackets shot 51.0 percent from the field and had five players in double figures, led by guard Glen Rice's 22 points. The win ended N.C. State's six-game winning streak.
"We played our best game of the year tonight," Gregory said.
The win earned Tech a modest 3-2 road record, which is as many wins as the Jackets had produced in any of the past three seasons. That total includes Tech's December win over Georgia, which broke a 13-game losing streak in Athens.
"This group has not been that successful on the road," Gregory said. "We're changing that mentality where you really embrace that challenge of going into a tough environment and playing well and playing tough with kind of a blue-collar approach."
After an unsteady start in which the Wolfpack had grabbed five offensive rebounds before the Jackets got their first, Tech bowed up. By game's end, the Jackets had out-rebounded N.C. State 34-29. The Wolfpack entered the game ranked second in the ACC in rebounding margin, one slot ahead of Tech. After those five offensive rebounds in the first seven minutes, N.C. State had just four the rest of the way.
Holsey and center Daniel Miller offered rugged efforts, bodying up against the Wolfpack front.
"Right at the beginning of the game, they were really physical, but then it felt like we took over and they weren't crashing the boards like we were," said Miller, who scored 10 points with four rebounds and four blocks.
The Jackets dove for loose balls, challenged N.C. State on the dribble and in the paint and retreated well in transition. Their fight helped produce a 19-3 run over the final six minutes of the first half that reversed a 26-21 deficit into a 40-29 lead.
N.C. State challenged after halftime, forcing Gregory to call timeout after drawing to within 45-40. The Jackets scored the next 11 points to return the lead to safer waters.
Rice had a second consecutive game with superior scoring, hitting on jumpers and drives to the basket for his 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting. It followed his 28-point game against Duke last Saturday and included two 3-pointers off the glass.
"A little luck never hurt anybody," he said.
The Jackets made nine of 15 3-point tries, their best performance from 3-point range this season. Guard Mfon Udofia was 3-for-4 from 3-point range and scored 17 points after piling up 19 against Duke.
"Mfon has been playing extremely well for us," Gregory said.
Tech will be on the road again Sunday at Maryland. A similar effort will be required.
Said Miller, "I think the guys like what we're doing, and they're going to keep it up."
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