ATLANTA _ After a series of close calls, Georgia Tech closed the deal on a marquee opponent Wednesday night at McCamish Pavilion.
Taking advantage of a fast start and rugged defense throughout, the Yellow Jackets seized their biggest win of the season and arguably coach Josh Pastner's tenure with a 64-58 win over No. 5 Louisville at McCamish Pavilion. It was Tech's first win over a team ranked in the AP's top five since defeating No. 4 Virginia in Jan. 2016, then-coach Brian Gregory's final season. The upset also ended Tech's 17-game losing streak against top-25 teams.
Tech raced out to an early 12-2 lead and managed to stay ahead the rest of the way, withstanding the Cardinals cutting the lead to one point at three different moments in the final five minutes of the game. Often challenged by Tech's defense but often not, Louisville shot 3 for 24 from 3-point range. Cardinals forward Jordan Nwora, the ACC's leading scorer, was held to a season-low two points on 1-for-6 shooting.
Tech (12-13 overall, 6-8 ACC) managed the upset despite 18 turnovers as Louisville turned the ball over 16 times itself. The Jackets closed the game out by making nine of 10 free throws in the final 30 seconds. To that point, Tech had made 11 of 18.
It was a cathartic win for Tech, which was 2-6 in ACC games decided by single digits and felt it had let slip away several opportunities for wins. Louisville (21-4, 12-2) was one of those teams, escaping with a 68-64 win Jan. 22 when guard Michael Devoe missed a 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining that would have given the Jackets a one-point lead.
