Feb. 12, 2006
ATLANTA (AP) – Reserve Zam Fredrick scored a career-high 22 points as Georgia Tech upset No. 16 North Carolina State 71-68 Sunday to end an eight-game losing streak.
Fredrick’s 3-pointer with 3:22 left gave Tech a 67-62 lead. He hit a short jumper before the shot clock expired to push the lead to 71-65 with 1:03 left.
A 3-pointer by the Wolfpack’s Cameron Bennerman with 50 seconds left cut the lead to three points.
The Wolfpack had a chance to tie in the final seconds. After Bennerman missed a 3-point try, the clock expired with Gavin Grant looking for a teammate beyond the 3-point line.
Ilian Evtimov led North Carolina State (19-5 overall, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) with 17 points. Engin Astur added 15 and Bennerman had 13.
Ra’Sean Dickey had 14 points for Tech (10-12 overall, 3-8 ACC).
Tech snapped its longest losing streak in 25 years while ending North Carolina State’s four-game winning streak.
Georgia Tech won for the first time since a Jan. 10 victory over Centenary.
Since losing his starting job, Fredrick has set personal scoring highs in two straight games. He had 19 points in Tech’s 80-79 loss at Florida State Thursday night.
A three-point play by Dickey with 3:55 left gave the Yellow Jackets a 64-59 lead, but Tony Bethel answered with a three-point play for the Wolfpack.
Fredrick and Bennerman then traded 3-point shots, leaving Tech with a 67-65 lead.
Tech, which has lost four ACC games after leading at halftime, made good on a lead at the break this time.
Fredrick had 11 points in only nine minutes in the first half.
Tech made 5 of 6 3-point shots, including two by Fredrick, to lead 35-29 at halftime.
North Carolina State center Cedric Simmons was scoreless in the half, playing only 6 minutes because of two quick fouls. Simmons picked up his third foul less than 4 minutes into the second half and fouled out with five points with 3:55 left. He averages 12.6 points.
The Wolfpack made four 3-pointers in the first 5 minutes of the second half, and a 3 by Bethel at the 15:10 mark gave the visitors at 45-44 lead, their last of the game.
Tech answered quickly with a 3-pointer by Anthony Morrow.
Fredrick, playing with the three fouls, continued to apply the pressure. Fredrick scored with 13:21 left for a 53-47 lead, and he penetrated and then passed to Jeremis Smith, whose powerful dunk moved the lead back to six points at 55-49.
