North Carolina Tar Heels vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Box Score on Dec 30, 2020

Michael Devoe and Jose Alvarado each scored 20 points as Georgia Tech rallied for a 72-67 victory against visiting North Carolina Wednesday night in Atlanta.

Jordan Usher added 14 points as the Yellow Jackets, coupled with a victory last season at North Carolina, own consecutive triumphs against the Tar Heels for the first time in nine years.

The Yellow Jackets (5-3, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) shot 61.5 percent from the field in the second half.

Armando Bacot's 14 points and Leaky Black's 10 points paced North Carolina (5-4, 0-2). Kerwin Walton bagged three second-half 3-pointers for nine points and Garrison Brooks also posted nine points.

Alvarado shot 8-for-10 from the field. Devoe was 7-for-11, including 4-for-7 on 3-pointers.

Georgia Tech rallied for a 52-49 lead with less than 12 minutes to play on the strength of back-to-back fast-break baskets. North Carolina went back up 61-53.

Then down the stretch, Georgia Tech made five consecutive shots from the field as the Tar Heels had a span of more than three minutes without a field goal.

The Yellow Jackets took their biggest lead of the game at that juncture at 68-65 with 2:01 to play.

North Carolina, despite significant changes to the starting lineup that included three freshmen for the first time in 13 years, committed seven turnovers across the first six minutes. But the Tar Heels built an 11-point lead by midway through the first half.

Georgia Tech bounced back with an 11-2 run later in the half before trailing 35-29 at the break.

North Carolina altered its starting five for the first time this season. Brooks, a senior forward, came off the bench for the first time since the last game of his freshman season other than on Senior Night last season. Freshmen Day'Ron Sharpe and Walton made their first starts, while Andrew Platek started for the first time this season.

The changes may have played a part in 18 turnovers on the night, with led to 19 Georgia Tech points.

The Tar Heels played for the first time this season as an unranked team, falling out of the Top 25 this week after a Dec. 22 loss at North Carolina State.

--Field Level Media