Feb 2, 2002
By KEITH PARSONS
AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA – Tony Akins scored a season-high 28 points and Marvin Lewis added 14 as Georgia Tech beat North Carolina 86-74 Saturday, the Tar Heels’ eighth loss in nine games.
B.J. Elder had 12 points for the Yellow Jackets (9-13, 2-7 Atlantic Coast Conference).
The Tar Heels (6-13, 2-7 ACC) didn’t return to the court during halftime until just 30 seconds were left in the break and seemed sluggish at the start of the second half. Akins hit his first four 3-pointers, and Georgia Tech seized control with a 16-5 run.
Jason Capel scored 21 points and Brian Morrison had 16 for North Carolina, which fell seven games under .500 for the first time in school history.
The Yellow Jackets haven’t shot better than 49 percent yet this season, but hit 59 percent in the second half to pull away.
Georgia Tech’s game-deciding run came with the score tied at 37. Lewis hit a layup, Akins added two 3’s and Ed Nelson scored to give the Yellow Jackets 10 straight points. The Tar Heels called a timeout, and Capel ended the streak with a 3-pointer.
But Halston Lane responded from beyond the arc, boosting the lead to 50-40. The Tar Heels managed to get within five just once after that.
Befitting a game between the worst two teams in the ACC, both suffered first-half scoring droughts. The Tar Heels went more than six minutes without a field goal and were outscored 15-2. The Yellow Jackets scored just eight points in the final 5:03 of the half, though, and trailed 35-34.
