Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Naithan George drove the lane and made a contested layup off the glass, giving Georgia Tech a go-ahead score with 7.7 seconds remaining to lead the Yellow Jackets to an upset of No. 3 North Carolina in Atlanta.
The freshman guard scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half of the 74-73 triumph Tuesday at McCamish Pavilion. George and senior guard Kyle Sturdivant combined for 25 second-half points for the Yellow Jackets.
"I just communicated to our guys: 'we can't let this one slip away,'" Sturdivant, who scored 13 of his 18 in the second half, told reporters. "We fought too hard and had too many adverse moments to conquer."
The Yellow Jackets outshot the Tar Heels 41% to 36.4% from the floor and 45% to 28.6% from 3-point range. They trailed by as many as 11 points before rallying for their upset.
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"What a win for the guys," Yellow Jackets coach Damon Stoudamire said. "This was about a big of a team win as I've ever seen. I'm proud of each and every one of them that was on the court. They all delivered in their own way."
The Yellow Jackets and Tar Heels exchanged the lead several times early on. The Tar Heels then used a 15-2 run to take a 23-13 edge midway through the first half. The Yellow Jackets scored seven unanswered to cut into the deficit, but the Tar Heels responded with a 10-2 run to regain their edge.
The Yellow Jackets then ended the half by outscoring the Tar Heels 15-4 to tie the score 37-37 at the break. The lead changed hands several times again early in the second half.
Senior guard R.J. Davis gave the Tar Heels a 73-72 lead with a layup with 34 seconds remaining. George then responded with his go-ahead score, which proved to be the game-winner.
The freshman guard started the play with a series of dribbles near half court. He then dribbled to his right and used a pick to lose his initial defender. George used a crossover move to create more space, dribbled into the paint and used his left hand to throw a shot high off the glass. The attempt bounced through the rim and gave the Yellow Jackets their final edge.
The Tar Heels called a timeout to set up their final possession. Davis took a handoff pass and drove to the rim, but his shot hit the back iron and bounced away.
Davis scored a game-high 28 points in the loss. Junior guard Miles Kelly chipped in 15 points and five rebounds for the Yellow Jackets.
The Yellow Jackets (10-11) will face N.C. State (14-7) at 5:30 p.m. EST Saturday in Raleigh, N.C. The Tar Heels (17-4) will host the rival Duke Blue Devils (16-4) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C.
