Tech outlasts Wake in OT
Jarrett Jack hit two free throws with 4.4 seconds left and Chris Paul missed a shot at the buzzer as No. 22 Georgia Tech ended a three-game losing streak with a 102-101 overtime victory over No. 5 Wake Forest on Thursday night at Atlanta.
It was a thrilling game, featuring all sorts of twists and turns.
Georgia Tech (12-5, 3-3 ACC) built a 17-point lead in the first half, but Wake Forest had a chance to win it at the end of regulation and the overtime.
Paul, who had only eight points, missed both chances for the Demon Deacons (16-3, 4-2). He drove into the lane each time, only to have his shots fall off the rim.
Georgia Tech’s student body stormed the court after the final miss, setting off a raucous celebration that lasted several minutes. Weary players from both teams struggled just to make it to their locker rooms.
Will Bynum scored a career-high 30 points for Georgia Tech, while Jack added 23.
Eric Williams, who was unstoppable much of the game on the inside, led Wake Forest with 27 points and Justin Gray had 22.
It was game that didn’t want to end, stretching on for nearly 3 hours and left the players huffing and puffing. Before his clinching free throws, Jack walked almost to the opposite foul line, struggling to catch his breath.
(15) Michigan St. 64, Michigan 53: At East Lansing, Mich., Maurice Ager scored 18 points and the Spartans (13-3, 5-1 Big Ten) started the second half strong before coasting to a victory over the Wolverines (12-8, 3-3).
(21) Cincinnati 74, South Florida 48: At Tampa, Fla., Eric Hicks had 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Bearcats (16-3, 5-1 C-USA) to a rout of the Bulls (8-9, 1-5), Cincinnati’s 14th consecutive win in the lopsided series.
Women
(1) Duke 60, (20) Maryland 57: At Durham, N.C., Monique Currie rattled in a jumper with 41.2 seconds left to help the Blue Devils (19-2, 5-1 ACC) rebound from a loss with a victory over the Terrapins (13-5, 3-4)… . (3) Ohio St. 86, Wisconsin 67: At Madison, Wis., Jessica Davenport scored a career-high 36 points, and the Buckeyes (20-2, 7-1 Big Ten) rolled to a victory over the Badgers (7-10, 1-6)… . (5) Tennessee 68, South Carolina 53: At Columbia, S.C., the Lady Vols (15-3, 5-0 SEC) beat Gamecocks (6-14, 0-6) for the 30th straight time, getting 16 points from Shyra Ely.
(12) North Carolina 83, Wake Forest 61: At Chapel Hill, N.C., Erlana Larkins scored 18 points, Ivory Latta led a first-half run with a pair of 3-pointers and the Tar Heels (16-3, 4-2 ACC) beat the Demon Deacons (13-6, 2-4)… . (19) Georgia 81, Florida 61: At Athens, Ga., Tasha Humphrey scored 21 points and the Lady Bulldogs (16-5, 4-2 SEC) rallied from an early 10-point deficit to beat the Gators (12-7, 3-3)… . Miami 62, (21) Florida St. 57: At Coral Gables, Fla., Yalonda McCormick scored 23 points — including the last four of the game — to give the Hurricanes (9-10, 1-5) their first ACC victory, an upset over the Seminoles (18-3, 5-2).
Northwestern 59, (22) Penn St. 48: At Evanston, Ill., Ifeoma Okonkwo scored 19 points to lead the Wildcats (5-16, 2-6 Big Ten) in a victory over the Lady Lions (12-7, 7-1)… . (23) Vanderbilt 73, Kentucky 67: At Lexington, Ky., Ashley Earley scored 24 points, and Carla Thomas added 22 to help the Commodores (14-5, 3-3 SEC) snap a three-game losing streak with a victory over the Wildcats (13-8, 2-4)… . (24) Temple 72, George Washington 64: At Philadelphia, Cynthia Jordan scored 26 points and Candice Dupree had 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Owls (16-3, 8-0 Atlantic 10) to their school-record 13th straight victory, over the Colonials (12-6, 5-2).