University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Georgia Tech
Men's Hoops Falls to Georgia Tech, 66-64
June 21, 1999 | Men's Basketball
December 22, 1998
ATLANTA - Georgia Tech merely wanted to prove it wasn't a terrible team. Instead, the Yellow Jackets wound up with a stunning upset over No. 7 North Carolina.
Georgia Tech, coming off a 41-point loss to Kentucky, defeated the Tar Heels 66-64 Tuesday night, despite making its last field goal with eight minutes to go and failing to score in the final 4:48.
"What a roller coaster," coach Bobby Cremins said. "The Kentucky loss had a lot to do with this win. I made (the team) watch the first 20 minutes, and it's brutal. If you watch that first 20 minutes and it doesn't make you want to throw up, nothing will."
The Yellow Jackets (8-2, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) were routed by the third-ranked Wildcats 80-39 on Saturday, falling behind 25-2 and shooting just 24 percent from the field.
"One thing I said about this team is we have a lot of heart," said Jason Floyd, who led Tech with 18 points. "We were really embarrassed and we wanted to come out and show some pressure and prove that we weren't a terrible team."
Georgia Tech led 62-50 after Alvin Jones hit a turnaround jumper, but managed only four free throws the rest of the way. The final Tech points came on two free throws by Jon Babul with just under five minutes remaining.
Still, North Carolina (12-2, 0-1) couldn't make it all the way back. The Tar Heels failed to hit a shot from the field after Max Owens' 3-pointer cut Tech's lead to 66-63 with 3:52 left.
In the frenetic final minutes, both teams squandered numerous chances. In the last half-minute alone, Georgia Tech had two turnovers and twice missed the first attempt in a 1-and-1.
"I'd like to win the real way instead of the lucky way," Cremins said. "But now we've got something to build on."
North Carolina misfired on a pair of 3-pointers as the clock was winding down. The Tar Heels got the final shot, with Ed Cota dribbling upcourt and feeding to Owens in the corner for an open 3-pointer. But the shot was long and the buzzer sounded.
"This is exactly what I was afraid would happen," North Carolina coach ill Guthridge said. "We knew they were going to come back."
Floyd, who was 1-of-10 from the field in the Kentucky debacle, made 6-of-7 against the Tar Heels. He hit all four of his 3-point attempts after going 0-of-7 outside the arc on Saturday.
Floyd's final 3 capped a 15-2 run that gave Tech its biggest lead, 60-47 with 9:23 remaining - the largest deficit for the Tar Heels this season. North Carolina responded with a 13-4 spurt to make it close, then seemed to run out of energy playing its third game in six days.
"The fact they were blown out like that, you knew they'd come back ready to play," said North Carolina's Brendan Haywood. "But we were able to hang in there and we played a good game."
Ademola Okulaja had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Tar Heels. Owens added 13 points, making his first three shots from 3-point range. But he couldn't hit the final shot from beyond the stripe.
"When I first caught the ball, I knew I had a good shot," Owens said. "But it just didn't go in."
The game was tight throughout the opening period, the lead never more than five points for either team. The Yellow Jackets took a 36-35 at halftime when Jason Collier grabbed a missed shot by Tony Akins and banked it in as time ran out.
Collier had 17 points, the only other Tech player in double figures. But the most important role may have been played by Babul, playing for the first time in five games after spraining his left ankle.
Babul, who had not even practiced since getting injured, returned to the court with a heavily taped ankle and gave the Yellow Jackets some size and strength on the perimeter and inside. He had nine points and four rebounds, helping to neutralize Tech's size disadvantage in the backcourt.
"He hit a 3, he gave us defensive presence, he came up with loose balls, he gave us rebounds," Cremins said.
Floyd hit all five of his shots in the first half, including three from beyond the 3-point stripe.
North Carolina was led in the opening period by Okulaja, who had 11 points and six rebounds. The Tar Heels dominated on the boards, finishing with a 44-29 advantage.
