College Basketball Roundup : Georgia Tech Finally Wrecks North Carolina

It may have been an upset according to the ratings and the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, but Dean Smith wasn’t all that surprised.

“We’ve lost to Duke and Georgia Tech, both preseason top 10 teams,” the North Carolina coach said. “If someone had said in the preseason we’d lose these games, I don’t think there would have been a lot of surprise.”

Junior guard Mark Price scored 17 points as Georgia Tech knocked off the Tar Heels, 66-62, Sunday in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Chapel Hill, N.C.

North Carolina (14-4 overall, 4-2 in the ACC) lost its second straight game at home and its ACC lead as Maryland (3-1) took over the top spot.The Yellow Jackets (15-3, 4-2) broke a 20-game losing streak against the Tar Heels.

“I think now people are going to think that Georgia Tech is for real,” Price said. “We’re proving we’re no longer a hot and cold team.”

The Yellow Jackets led by 10 points at one stage, but North Carolina scored five straight points to pull within 58-56 with 2:12 left. John Salley’s three-point play combined with a free throw by freshman Duane Ferrell gave Georgia Tech a 62-56 lead with 56 seconds left.

Price iced the game with three free throws in the final minute.

Tennessee 81, Kentucky 65--Michael Brooks scored 34 points and the Volunteers beat the Wildcats for the 12th time in their last 13 meetings at Knoxville, Tenn., in a Southeastern Conference game.

The Volunteers (14-6, 5-3) broke a 46-46 tie with a 19-4 run when the Wildcats (9-8, 4-4) went five minutes without a basket.

Kenny Walker had 23 points and 10 rebounds for Kentucky.

Illinois 52, Indiana 41--Bob Knight benched four starters, including leading scorer Steve Alford, allowing the Illini to dominate the inexperienced Hoosiers in a Big Ten game at Champaign, Ill.

Efrem Winters scored 12 points and Illinois (17-4, 6-2) took sole possession of the conference lead.

Indiana (11-6, 3-4) started veteran center Uwe Blab and four freshmen including guard Joe Hillman from Glendale. Alford, averaging 19.5 points per game, did not play and Knight offered no explanation.

Virginia 54, Arkansas 52--Senior guard Tim Mullen sank four three throws in the final 17 seconds as the Cavaliers beat the Razorbacks at Charlottesville, Va., for their second two-point victory in less than 24 hours.

It was the third consecutive game the Cavaliers (10-9) played without Coach Terry Holland, who watched the game on television from a hospital where he’s recovering from a stomach disorder.

Charles Ballentine scored 18 points for the Razorbacks (13-7).

Michigan 96, Kansas 77--Freshman guard Gary Grant scored all of his 20 points in the first half as the Wolverines turned back the Jayhawks at Ann Arbor, Mich.

Grant made 9 of 10 shots from the floor--all but one from beyond 15 feet--and sank two free throws to lead Michigan (14-3) to a 50-35 halftime lead.

Greg Dreiling scored 21 points for Kansas (14-4), which trailed by 31 points in the second half.

Maryland 77, Villanova 74--Len Bias scored 30 points and led a late charge that boosted the Terrapins past the Wildcats at College Park, Md.

Villanova (13-4) whittled a 12-point Maryland lead down to two before Bias engineered a late 11-6 run that put the game out of reach for the Terrapins (16-5).

Ed Pinckney scored 29 points for the Wildcats.

Fresno State 55, Santa Barbara 45--Scott Barnes scored 14 points and the Bulldogs (12-5,7-1) held the Gauchos (8-10, 4-5) to four points in a 9 1/2-minute span of the second half for a Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. victory at Fresno.