First of all let me say that will take a dirty, sloppy, stinking one point win in Atlanta pretty much any way I can get it. I am not totally certain what the deal is with UNC playing at Georgia Tech but what happened tonight pretty much confirms everything Daddy ever said about what happens to UNC when the end up playing in Georgia. It is like the Heels were snakebit all night and yeah they had to have more than a few plays break the right way to win this game. And I am not sure whether I should take consolation in the fact GT played Indiana and Kansas close or panic thinking about the number of low major teams the Jackets dropped games to earlier in the season. It could be GT is very capable of getting up for the big games while laying eggs versus the lightweights.
In terms of how UNC played, quite frankly they were fairly horrible on the defensive end giving up open looks basically anywhere on the court and when GT did happen to miss, UNC did not collect very many rebounds. However, when it came down the stretch UNC did find away to get some stops and snag some key rebounds. That is perhaps a small ray of hope that UNC can, when willing, lock a team down. The larger problem in my mind is the fact that UNC needed a huge offensive effort to keep pace. While this might not be a problem in most games, if they ever run into a team capable of scoring points while simultaneously disrupting UNC's offense, it will be a long game. The fact of the matter is, despite how well GT played at points, had UNC been locking down on defense GT would scored in the 60s.
In the end this is one of those tough road games in the ACC that great teams find a way to win. And despite the red hot nature of UNC's defensive issues, it is hard to complain too much about going into the hostile confines of Alexander Memorial and taking a tight game. For now, it will do.