Nov 28, 2001
By KEITH PARSONS
AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA – Halston Lane made two free throws with 14 seconds left as Georgia Tech rallied for a 62-61 victory over Wisconsin on Wednesday night in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
Wisconsin’s Kirk Penney missed a desperation jumper at the buzzer, prompting Georgia Tech students from the standing-room-only sections underneath the baskets to storm the court in celebration.
The Yellow Jackets (3-3) trailed by 20 with 16 minutes left, and were still down 11 with 4:18 remaining. But the Badgers (1-4) didn’t score again, and Tony Akins scored seven points to help pull Georgia Tech to 61-60.
After a turnover by Travon Davis, Lane missed a jumper but Akins chased down a long rebound. Akins then drove and dished to Lane, who was fouled by Penney. Lane then made his only two free throws of the game.
Akins finished with 20 points, and Penny and Davis scored 14 apiece for Wisconsin.
Earlier, the Badgers beat Georgia Tech at its own game, consistently finding open shots on the perimeter. All but two of Wisconsin’s 11 first-half baskets came on 3-pointers, and it was so effective beating the press that the Yellow Jackets went without it for a time.
But Georgia Tech got back to its full-court defense in the final minutes, and the change of pace seemed to affect the Badgers.
Isma’il Muhammad added a career-high 11 for the Yellow Jackets, including eight over a 5-minute span in the second half to cut Wisconsin’s lead to six.
When Mike Wilkinson scored the next five points to put the lead back to 11, it looked like Georgia Tech’s comeback had run out of gas. But Akins, saddled with foul trouble much of the game, wouldn’t be denied. B.J. Elder, one of five freshmen playing quality minutes for the Yellow Jackets, also had a 3-pointer in the final two minutes.
The Yellow Jackets face North Carolina, Georgia and No. 12 Syracuse in their next three games, so they could have hardly afforded a loss to Wisconsin, which hasn’t beaten a Division I team this year. The Badgers’ only victory came against Division II Hawaii-Hilo.
