Georgia Tech survives struggles in win

ATLANTA -- See if this script sounds familiar for a Georgia Tech basketball game: A big lead early in the first half, followed by a struggle to maintain it, only to have the game slip away in the second half.

That has happened a lot for the Yellow Jackets this season, and it happened again Wednesday. Only this time, in a reversal of fortunes, it was Wake Forest that hit the skids and it was Georgia Tech that was able to take advantage of the largesse.

The result was a 71-66 win for Georgia Tech (13-11, 3-8 ACC) to snap a three-game losing streak.

The Yellow Jackets needed all they could get from senior Marcus Georges-Hunt. He scored a career-high 30 points, breaking the mark of 27 he set earlier this season against Virginia Tech.

It was the second 30-point game by a Yellow Jacket this season. Adam Smith scored 30 against Pittsburgh.

Wake Forest (10-14, 1-11) was led by Devin Thomas with 20 points and eight rebounds.

THREE WHO MATTERED

Marcus Georges-Hunt: Was at his best against Wake Forest, both slashing to the basket and shooting 3-pointers. He made 11-of-15 from the field and was perfect on all seven free throws attempts. The senior hit four clutch free throws in the final 26.1 seconds to help Georgia Tech hold on. He also had four assists and two rebounds.

Charles Mitchell: The senior forward had 14 points and 15 rebounds for his 13th double-double of the season. It was his top rebounding game since getting 17 against Pitt on Jan. 6.

Nick Jacobs: The senior was an offensive force with his left-handed hook shot. Jacobs was 4-for-8 and scored 11 points. He also had three rebounds.

TURNING POINT

Georgia Tech trailed 47-42 with 14 minutes left and went on a 10-2 streak to take the lead for good. The final three points of the run were scored when Georges-Hunt drove for a basket, drew a foul and made the free throw. The Yellow Jackets never trailed again.

OBSERVATIONS

Smitty doesn't start: For the first time this season, guard Adam Smith was not in the starting lineup. He was replaced by Tadric Jackson. Other starters were Charles Mitchell and James White at forward and Marcus Georges-Hunt at guard. Jackson, who had put together back-to-back double-digit games scored two points.

Baby, it's cold outside: Smith was 0-for-5 from the field in the first half, two of those misses on 3-pointers. He missed his first seven shots, but made the eighth one, a 3-pointer with 1:51 left that gave the Yellow Jackets a seven-point lead. It was the only three points he scored. It broke a streak of five straight games in double figures and matched his fewest point total of the year, that coming on Nov. 27 against Villanova.

Better at the line: The Yellow Jackets were 0-for-3 from the line in the first half, but rebounded nicely in the second half when they made 13-of-17. That gave them a 76.5 percent success rate, their best in three games.

Fewer turnovers helps: Georgia Tech had turned the ball over nine times in the first half that led to 17 Wake Forest points. The Yellow Jackets turned it over only three times in the second half.

CPJ in the house: Football head coach Paul Johnson was in attendance.

THEY SAID IT

Gregory on the overall game: "I thought we did a lot of good things (Wednesday). (Wednesday) was the night we made some big plays down the stretch. I thought our second-half execution down the stretch was really good. We took care of the ball. Our defense was much improved in the second half."

Gregory on Georges-Hunt's performance: "We talked to seniors, particularly Marcus, about having to take over and do a lot of different things and he responded really well. A lot of good basketball from a lot of different guys."

Mitchell on his 15-rebound effort after getting just two in the last game: "I had to make a statement on the glass. That ate at me."

Georges-Hunt on Mitchell's performance: "He went back to being the old Chuck we saw at the beginning of the season."

UP NEXT

Georgia Tech plays again on Saturday at Clemson.

This story was originally published February 10, 2016 at 10:11 PM with the headline "Georgia Tech survives struggles in win ."