Feb. 13, 2005
ATLANTA (AP) – Tony Bethel drove around Jarrett Jack for the winning basket with 9.8 seconds left, giving North Carolina State a 53-51 victory over Georgia Tech on Sunday night.
Jack hit a jumper near the foul line with 42 seconds remaining, tying the game at 51. But the Georgia Tech guard slipped at the other end while guarding Bethel, who burst along the baseline for a layup that put the Wolfpack back ahead.
Georgia Tech (14-8, 5-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) had one more chance, but B.J. Elder missed a 3-pointer from the corner as the buzzer sounded.
North Carolina State (14-10, 4-7) snapped a three-game losing streak and gave embattled coach Herb Sendek a much-needed victory.
As for the Yellow Jackets, they are shaping up as one of the country’s most disappointing teams. Coming off a trip to the Final Four, they started the season ranked No. 3 in the country.
But Georgia Tech dropped out of the rankings a week ago and has no chance of getting back in after losing at home to one of the ACC’s weaker teams. The Yellow Jackets have lost six of nine, casting some doubt on their chances of getting back to the NCAA tournament after coming within one victory of winning it all a year ago.
North Carolina State completed a season sweep of the Yellow Jackets, having won 76-68 in Raleigh last month.
It was an ugly game. North Carolina State won despite committing 17 turnovers and shooting just 41 percent from the field. The Wolfpack were content to run the shot clock down on nearly every possession, limiting Georgia Tech to only six fast-break points.
The Yellow Jackets were held to a season low for points, easily eclipsing a 60-59 victory at Illinois-Chicago back in November. They shot just 39 percent, made only 1-of-14 from 3-point range and turned it over 18 times.
There were only two players in double figures. Jack led Georgia Tech with 17 points, while Julius Hodge paced the Wolfpack with 15.
PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer
