MBB Winning Streak Ends At Georgia Tech, 74-73

Tuesday, January 30

Atlanta, Ga.

7 PM

North Carolina

17-4,9-1ACC

Georgia Tech

10-11,3-7ACC

North Carolina

Georgia Tech

RJ Davis

Photo by: Maggie Hobson

January 30, 2024 | Men's Basketball

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By: Matt Bowers

ATLANTA, GA.—Georgia Tech held North Carolina to a season-low 36.4 percent shooting from the floor and got 39 points from its bench, upsetting the third-ranked Tar Heels, 74-73, on Tuesday night in the McCamish Pavilion. A layup by Naithan George in the closing seconds provided the winning margin.

The Yellow Jackets (10-11, 3-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) led for most of the second half and snapped Carolina's 10-game winning streak. UNC fell to 17-4, 9-1 but nearly pulled out a come-from-behind victory in the final minute.

RJ Davis grabbed a rebound and raced down the floor for a layup with 34.1 seconds remaining to give UNC a 73-72 advantage, its first lead since 52-51 early in the second half. The Yellow Jackets replied, with George connecting on a driving layup with 7.7 seconds left to make it 74-73 Tech.

Davis then missed a contested shot in traffic at the buzzer and no foul was called, sealing the one-point Tar Heel loss.

Davis led all scorers with 28 points, draining three three-pointers and adding five rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes. He's netted 88 points in his last three games (29.3 per game) and continues to lead the ACC in scoring.

He was the only Tar Heel in double figures, however.

Harrison Ingram contributed nine points and 13 rebounds, posting his seventh double-digit rebounding effort in the last nine games. Armando Bacot had nine points and nine rebounds, and Cormac Ryan scored nine despite a 3 for 14 shooting day. Jalen Washington chipped in eight points and five boards in 10 minutes off the bench.

UNC's field goal percentage of 36.4 was its lowest of the season and only the third time it's shot under 40 percent this season.

"You've got to compliment Georgia Tech," Carolina head coach Hubert Davis said afterward. "We did have a double-digit lead. Defensively, we made mistakes on coverages, and they capitalized on them. They're a good basketball team, and they play extremely well at home."

Georgia Tech's bench outscored UNC, 39-14, led by 18 points from Kyle Sturdivant, who hit all four of his three-point attempts.

Ingram and Ryan combined to shoot 6 for 28 on the night. Carolina hit just 2 of 14 three-point tries in the second half (14.3 percent).

"After every game, we look at how we can grow and improve and continue to get better, and we'll do the same after this game," Hubert Davis said.

How It Happened
First Half
• Elliot Cadeau's three-point play completed a 12-0 run to give the Tar Heels a 20-11 lead.
• Carolina maintained a lead for much of the first half until Georgia Tech closed the half on a 12-1 run over the final 4:55 to tie the score at 37-all at the break.
• Tech went on a 10-0 run at one point, the first time an opponent has had at least a 10-0 run against UNC since Florida State on December 2 in Chapel Hill.
• UNC had a scoreless stretch of over five minutes late in the half.
• Carolina turned a 10-4 edge in offensive rebounds into a 14-2 advantage in second-chance points, but bench points were 14-4 in Georgia Tech's favor.
• The Tar Heels hit 6 of 14 three-point tries in the half, including 3 of 4 by Davis and 2 of 5 by Cormac Ryan.

Second Half
• Both teams struggled offensively for most of the first 10 minutes after halftime. Carolina missed 11 of its first 17 shots after the break, and Tech missed 10 of 15.
• Carolina missed 14 of its first 21 shots of the second half as it fell behind, 59-54.
• Cadeau fouled out in just 21 minutes of action with five points, five assists and two rebounds.
• Seth Trimble made a big steal and driving layup to make the score 59-57 Yellow Jackets with 8:53 to play.
• UNC shot 33.3 percent (14 for 42) in the second half, including 2 for 14 from three-point range.

Postgame Tidbits & Notes
• The Tar Heels are 72-28 all-time against the Yellow Jackets, including winning 12 of the last 16 meetings in the series.
• UNC is 23-16 overall at Georgia Tech, including 17-14 at McCamish Pavilion (previously Alexander Memorial Coliseum).
• Carolina has held the Yellow Jackets under 70 points in 10 of the last 15 meetings and won all 10 of those games. Tech has won four of the last five when it scored more than 70 (including Tuesday night).
• Davis hit 3 of 8 three-pointers, his 18th consecutive game with multiple threes. That is the longest streak in UNC history.
• It was the first time Carolina has had only one player score in double figures since Armando Bacot had 15 against Miami on 1/18/22.
• It was the first time Carolina has lost by one point since losing 64-65 against Pittsburgh on 2/1/23.

Up Next
Carolina will return to the Smith Center to host Duke on Saturday night February 3.

Follow Tar Heel basketball on X at @UNC_Basketball and @UNCMBBstats and on Instagram at UNC_Basketball.