Feb. 22, 2006
ATLANTA (AP) – Jeremis Smith scored a team-high 18 points with 12 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season, and Tech built an 11-point second-half lead before No. 1 Duke rallied for a 73-66 win Wednesday at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
Shelden Williams had 26 points and 11 rebounds and J.J. Redick overcome a horrid start to score 22 points for the visiting Blue Devils.
Entering the game with a chance to become the career leading scorer in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Redick missed 15 of his first 17 shots, working against an array of Tech defenders led by junior guard Mario West, but he did hit the go-ahead jumper with 8:51 remaining.
Redick needs nine points to break the ACC mark of 2,587 set by Wake Forest’s Dickie Hemric 51 years ago.
Williams kept the Blue Devils (26-1, 14-0) close with an eight-point barrage after Jeremis Smith’s layup gave Georgia Tech an 11-point lead 1:31 into the second half. A putback of Redick’s missed 3-pointer cut the lead to eight before Williams took Greg Paulus’ bounce pass and jammed to bring Duke within two with 14:07 to go.
The signature moment came when freshman forward Josh McRoberts stole a pass and dribbled twice behind his back as he drove past the halfcourt line. Seeing Redick coming up the right side, McRoberts fed the senior guard, who buried an 18-footer to give Duke a 55-53 lead it never relinquished.
Redick, the NCAA’s career leader in 3-pointers, hit a 25-footer on the next possession and followed that with two free throws that ended a 24-6 run. Georgia Tech missed nine of 12 shots and committed nine turnovers during the stretch that spanned 12:02.
Ra’Sean Dickey added 14 points and Zam Fredrick had nine assists.
Tech shot 70.8 percent from the floor in the first half, but was unable to maintain that pace after intermission.
