THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 9, 1996 TAG: 9603090578
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB MOLINARO, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GREENSBORO LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
When preparing for a Georgia Tech team that's riding high, it's best not to stay up too late the night before.
North Carolina State, coming off a play-in victory over Florida State on Thursday, was no match for Bobby Cremins' superior talent Friday afternoon in the ACC tournament.
The top seed's 88-73 victory came only a few days after Les Robinson's Wolfpack fell to Georgia Tech in overtime in Atlanta.
This time, N.C. State had more to deal with than Stephon Marbury, Matt Harpring and Drew Barry. This is the fifth year the ACC has scheduled a play-in game. The weary winner of that game has yet to advance beyond Friday.
If it's any consolation for ninth-seeded N.C. State, the Wolfpack brought out the best in Georgia Tech. All-ACC first-teamers Marbury and Harpring combined for 44 points. Each hit 8 of 12 shots from the field. Meanwhile, Barry had 17 points and eight assists.
``We're playing very well now,'' said Cremins, whose team has won eight in a row. ``But we're not good enough that we can bury you.''
It looked like Tech was in the process of doing just that to N.C. State when the Yellow Jackets led by 13 at the half.
``I thought we had things under control,'' said Cremins, ``and then we didn't have things under control.''
N.C. State, which fell to 15-16, made some adjustments, took advantage of a few Tech lapses and closed to within three on a Todd Fuller basket with 8:27 remaining.
It was only a matter of time - 14 seconds, to be exact - before Georgia Tech struck back with a Marbury 3-pointer.
Marbury's jump shot was the catalyst for a decisive Tech run that chased red-clad Wolfpackers through the exits and into the frigid afternoon air.
The victory was the Yellow Jackets' 15th in their last 18 games. In today's first semifinal (1:30 p.m., WAVY), they meet Maryland, the last team to beat them. ILLUSTRATION: HUY NGUYEN
The Virginian-Pilot
North Carolina State's Jeremy Hyatt drew a crowd - Eddie Elisma in
his face and Michael Maddox all over the ball - during the Yellow
Jackets' 88-73 ACC tournament victory Friday.
by CNB