Johnson leads No. 9 North Carolina past Georgia Tech 77-54

ATLANTA (AP) — Cameron Johnson scored 22 points and No. 9 North Carolina won its fourth straight game, beating Georgia Tech 77-54 Tuesday night.

Coby White added 19 points and shot 5 of 9 from 3-point range for North Carolina (16-4, 6-1 ACC).

Abdoulaye Gueye scored 14 points to lead Georgia Tech (11-10, 3-5).

The Tar Heels relied on 3-point shooting, making 13 of 27 shots from beyond the arc.
Johnson scored eight consecutive points to open the second half and made 4 of 6 shots from long distance in the game.

Georgia Tech entered the game with the nation's second-ranked 3-point defense, allowing a 26.5 percent conversion rate, but was unable to stop North Carolina.

North Carolina made seven of its first eight shots in the second half, including a pair of 3-pointers by Johnson and two more by White, and Tech was never really in the game again.

Georgia Tech shot just 2 of 16 from 3-point range and trailed by 30 points at one point.

Tech, the most turnover-prone team in the ACC, did not turn the ball over on its first 18 possessions but struggled to hit shots.

North Carolina raced to a 31-21 lead when Johnson made a pair of free throws with 1:10 left in the first half.

The Tar Heels built a 31-24 halftime lead on the combination of 5-for-12 shooting from 3-point range and a stifling defense.

The Yellow Jackets made just 10 of 32 shots and missed their first nine 3-point attempts before Michael Devoe connected.

INJURIES ON BOTH SIDES

North Carolina freshman reserve guard Leaky Black was helped from the court with an injury to his left ankle or leg with 8:28 remaining in the game. ... Tech starting point guard Jose Alvarado was helped to the locker room with 5:33 left with what appeared to be a right ankle or foot injury.

BIG PICTURE

North Carolina: The Heels are cooking with the long ball. The only time they made more 3s in a game this season was against Virginia Tech on Jan. 21, when they shot 16 of 34 in a 103-82 win.

Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets lost track of North Carolina shooters and allowed their most 3-pointers in a game this season. Previously, Arkansas made 10 of 32 against Tech, and Wake Forest made 9 of 22, but the Jackets won both games with stellar shooting of their own.

UP NEXT

North Carolina: Saturday at No. 15 Louisville.
Georgia Tech: At No. 25 Florida State on Saturday.
 

Georgia Tech guard Jose Alvarado (10) looks to pass as he is defended by North Carolina guard Leaky Black (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Atlanta, Tuesday.

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