Off the cuff: James Michael McAdoo looked comfortable for the first time in a while as the sophomore controlled the first half offensively with 15 points.
Reggie Bullock, who didn't score in the first half, hit perhaps the biggest shot of the game. Georgia Tech was only down by four early in the second half when Bullock, as part of a planned play, drained a three from the top of the key.
Leslie McDonald, off the bench, drained a three of his own the next time down the court and Carolina was starting to gain control of the game.
A 12-0 run during the time Georgia Tech was struggling hanging on to the ball and shooting the ball wrapped it up.
It still doesn't look or feel good to see a 22-point lead dwindle to 12 by the game's end. Maybe that - and the fact that the Heels shot just 38 percent - can serve as a motivator against NC State Saturday - if they need any more motivation.
Except for about a five-minute span, the Tar Heels outplayed the Wolfpack in Raleigh but those few minutes put the Heels in a big hole. A win by the Heels in the rematch at Chapel Hill Saturday would drop the Pack, the predicted winners of the ACC, into fifth place.
With Miami unbeaten and Duke solidly in second, it appears the Tar Heels are playing for third and a first-round bye in the ACC tournament.
Tar Heels 70, Virginia 58 Heels take advantage of GT's drought
North Carolina moved into a tie for third place in the ACC after the Tar Heels held Georgia Tech scoreless for seven minutes in the second half en route to a 70-58 win in Atlanta. (2/19)
The Tar Heels led by just four at 41-37 at the first TV timeout of the second half. But Carolina turned a close game into a commanding lead with an 18-4 run to go up 59-41. A three by Yellow Jacket Robert Carter broke a seven-minute scoreless streak, which included 13 straight misses.
The lead got as high as 22 at 66-44 with 4:50 to go. Carolina seemed to coast the rest of the way while Georgia Tech got three three-points to make the final score more respectable.
The Yellow Jackets led by as many as four points in the first half but UNC's James Michael McAdoo took over offensively, scoring 15 first-half points to lead the Tar Heels pack to a six-point lead at the half, 36-30.
McAdoo finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds. It was the first time he had broken into double figures in the last four games. Leslie McDonald came off the bench to score 15 points in 17 minutes as he hit four three pointers. P.J. Hairston was only four of 15 from the floor but he managed 10 points.
Carolina shot just 38 percent but the Jackets didn't do much better at 40 percent. The Tar Heels also had 10 more points from the free throw line (14-4) and 10 fewer turnovers (9-19).
"It was an ugly game at times for both teams," UNC coach Roy Williams said. "I thought we had 100 turnovers but we only had nine." He said he would take nine turnovers every game.
"It's hard to get a win when you shoot 38 percent but we'll take it," Williams said.
Carolina at 8-5 in the ACC (18-8 overall) is in a three-way tie with Virginia and N.C. State with just five league contests left, including a Saturday afternoon matchup against the Wolfpack in Chapel Hill.
