ACC Basketball: Georgia Tech 73, N.C. State 71

Associated Press

ATLANTA — Zachery Peacock has seen Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt angry plenty of times.

But after a Yellow Jackets victory? This might have been a first.

"I totally understand what he's feeling," said Peacock. "We're not playing our best basketball, and it's not because of effort. It's because of our decision-making."

Peacock scored 22 points, freshman Derrick Favors added 16, and No. 21 Georgia Tech held off North Carolina State 73-71 on Saturday.

The Yellow Jackets (17-6, 5-4) improved to 12-1 at home, and they have won four of their last six in the ACC. But Georgia Tech struggled to hold off the last-place Wolfpack despite leading by 16 points with 5:01 remaining.

After telling his players that he was disgusted in their performance during a blowout loss Thursday at No. 10 Duke, Hewitt thought the team would respond favorably.

"I told them that was the most embarrassed I've been since I've been here — in the second half at Duke," said Hewitt, now in his 10th year at Georgia Tech. "That was absolutely, completely an embarrassment. Well, I topped that today."

Switching to a full-court press late in the game, N.C. State (14-10, 2-7) frustrated Georgia Tech into committing several turnovers and possession arrow miscues before Julius Mays stole D'Andre Bell's backcourt pass and hit a layup to make it 70-69 with 2:09 remaining.

After Dennis Horner's two free throws cut the lead to 73-71, the Yellow Jackets again failed to make an accurate inbounds pass from the baseline, and N.C. State had a chance to tie or win the game.

Javier Gonzalez, however, missed a jumper, and Mays' straightaway 3-point attempt bounced off the front of the rim at the buzzer.

After he released the shot, Mays pleaded with the officials to call a foul. Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe was furious that no call was made and left the court without exchanging the accustomed handshake with Hewitt.

"I just went to his locker room and talked to him, and he certainly understands," Lowe said. "The heat of the moment got me right there. I was a little disappointed, a little upset at some things."

Tracy Smith scored 22 points for the Pack, who have lost four straight in the ACC.

"Our press was hard and aggressive," Smith said. "We had them rattled."

Horner, coming off the bench for the first time this season, finished with 14 points for N.C. State, which had won nine of 12 against Georgia Tech.