North Carolina at Georgia Tech
ATLANTA (Interstat) — North Carolina looks to solidify its position atop the Atlantic Coast Conference standings when it visits a struggling Georgia Tech team at Hank McCamish Pavilion on Saturday.
The Tar Heels (16-4, 6-1 ACC) enter on a two-game winning streak following an 85-80 road victory at Virginia last Saturday. They are led by standout forward Caleb Wilson, who is averaging 20.0 points over his last seven games. Wilson scored 20 points with four rebounds and two blocks in the win over the Cavaliers.
Georgia Tech (11-10, 2-6) has lost four of its last five, including a 71-65 defeat at Virginia Tech on Tuesday. The Yellow Jackets will rely on guard Lamar Washington, who leads the team in assists and is coming off a 12-point, five-assist performance. Washington recorded a triple-double earlier this month with 17 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in a win over Boston College.
North Carolina’s potent offense, averaging 84.2 points per game in conference play, will test a Georgia Tech defense that has allowed 77.3 points per contest in ACC matchups. The Tar Heels have shown vulnerability on the road, however, with two of their four losses coming in true away games.
The Yellow Jackets will need a significant defensive effort to contain Wilson and backcourt mate Seth Trimble, who added 16 points against Virginia. Georgia Tech’s last home win was a 78-74 upset of NC State on Jan. 17.
Saturday’s game tips off at 2 p.m. EST and will be televised on the ACC Network. Following this contest, North Carolina hosts Syracuse on Monday, while Georgia Tech begins a two-game West Coast road trip at California on Wednesday.