Georgia Tech 77, N.C. State 74

1/23/2008 8:51 PM

By AARON BEARD
AP Sports Writer

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -Matt Causey had 18 points while Anthony Morrow went 4-for-4 at the line in the final 19 seconds to help Georgia Tech hold off North Carolina State 77-74 on Wednesday.

D'Andre Bell and Gani Lawal each added 13 points for the Yellow Jackets (9-9, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who won in Raleigh for the first time in a dozen years thanks to a steady performance in the final 3 minutes.

Courtney Fells finished with a career-high 23 points to lead the Wolfpack (12-6, 1-3), who led by five points midway through the second half before the Yellow Jackets ran off 10 straight points to retake momentum. N.C. State came up with several clutch baskets, but ultimately the Wolfpack couldn't get any needed stops down the stretch.

Georgia Tech also knocked down its last six free throws in the final 41 seconds, the last two coming from Morrow to make the score 77-74 with 8.8 seconds left. That gave the Wolfpack a final chance to tie, but Javi Gonzalez airballed a 3-pointer from the right side that was rebounded by Georgia Tech's Lewis Clinch as the horn sounded.

It was a great way for Georgia Tech to start a tough stretch that will have the Yellow Jackets play five of six games on the road. The Yellow Jackets hadn't won in Raleigh since 1996 and had lost the past seven meetings since N.C. State moved from Reynolds Coliseum to the RBC Center in the 1999-2000 season.

Georgia Tech shot 59 percent for the game and went 12-for-15 at the line in the second half. Causey finished 7-for-10 from the field to go with five assists and four steals, a strong follow-up to his 30-point day against Virginia Tech over the weekend.

After Fells' three-point play gave the Wolfpack a 65-63 lead with 3:41 left, Georgia Tech responded with six straight points to push ahead for good. Bell had a dunk in transition for the lead at 67-65, while Zach Peacock hit a pair of free throws to push the lead to four on the next possession.

N.C. State twice closed the gap to one, first coming on J.J. Hickson's three-point play that made it 73-72 with 28.5 seconds left. But Morrow knocked down two free throws at the other end to push the margin back to four.

Then, after Fells' dunk again cut it to one, Morrow coolly knocked down the final two free throws that sealed the game.