Feb. 10, 2016
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ATLANTA (AP) Marcus Georges-Hunt scored a career-high 30 points, including four free throws in the final 30 seconds, and Georgia Tech held off Wake Forest 71-66 on Wednesday night, giving the Demon Deacons their ninth straight ACC loss.
Charles Mitchell had 14 points and 15 rebounds for Georgia Tech (13-11, 3-8 Atlantic Coast Conference). The Yellow Jackets snapped a three-game losing streak with only their second win in their last eight games.
Wake Forest (10-14, 1-11) has its longest streak of ACC losses since 11 straight at the end of the 2010-11 season.
Devin Thomas led the Demon Deacons with 20 points. Bryant Crawford had 10.
Georges-Hunt, a senior, topped his previous career high of 27 points against Virginia Tech on Jan. 16.
Crawford’s 3-pointer with 46 seconds remaining cut Georgia Tech’s lead to 66-64. Georges-Hunt made two free throws pushed the lead back to four points before Cornelius Hudson answered with a quick basket for Wake Forest.
Georges-Hunt added two more free throws to protect the lead. He was 7-for-7 from the line.
The Yellow Jackets snapped a trend of close losses in conference games. Their eight losses were by an average of 5.8 points, with no loss by more than nine points.
Georgia Tech led 5-3 before Wake Forest scored nine straight points, a run capped by a jam from Thomas. The Yellow Jackets did not reclaim the lead until almost midway through the second half. Soon after Thomas left the game with three fouls, a short jumper by Georges-Hunt gave Georgia Tech a 48-47 lead.
The Demon Deacons pulled even at 49-all but didn’t lead again.
A follow-up shot by Quinton Stephens gave Georgia Tech a 63-57 lead. Georgia Tech’s only 3-pointer of the second half, from Adam Smith with less than two minutes remaining, pushed the lead to 66-59.
The Demon Deacons allow a league-worst 79.4 points per game and have been particularly bad in the second half of their last two losses. They allowed 54 points in the final 20 minutes of a 91-71 loss to Florida State and 56 in the second half of their 76-62 loss to Clemson last week.
Georgia Tech didn’t need a 50-point second half to overcome its 39-35 halftime deficit against the mistake-plagued Demon Deacons. Wake Forest finished with 16 turnovers, including nine in the second half.
TIP-INS
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons’ last win at Georgia Tech came in 2004. … Thomas limped off the court with 16 seconds remaining in the first half after appearing to turn his ankle. He returned to open the second half. … The Demon Deacons’ last ACC win came on Jan. 10 against North Carolina State, their next opponent.
Georgia Tech: Georges-Hunt continued his history of strong games against Wake Forest. He averaged 16 points against the Demon Deacons in his first five games in the series, including four wins for the Yellow Jackets. He has scored in double figures in six straight games against Wake Forest. … Georges-Hunt passed Kenny Anderson for 16th place on the school’s list of all-time scorers.
UP NEXT
Wake Forest: At North Carolina State on Saturday
Georgia Tech: At Clemson on Saturday
