Canes Get Their First ACC Road Win in Victory Over Georgia Tech

Box Score | Season Stats | ACC Stats

ATLANTA (AP) –  Kenny Kadji scored 21 points, Malcolm Grant had 16 and Miami beat Georgia Tech 64-49 on Tuesday night to leave the Yellow Jackets in last place in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Miami (11-7, 2-3) has won two of three. The Hurricanes took only their second road win in seven tries.

Mfon Udofia had 14 points for Georgia Tech (8-12, 1-5). The Yellow Jackets have lost four straight and eight of nine.

Georgia Tech trailed 49-39 after a free throw by Glen Rice Jr. with 7:12 remaining. Back-to-back baskets by Kammeon Holsey cut Miami’s lead to 54-45 with 4:26 remaining, but the Hurricanes answered with six straight points to push the lead to 15 points.

Kadji, who had 14 points in the second half, led Miami with eight rebounds.

Grant led Miami with his average of 14.8 points per game last season. He scored in double figures in eight of Miami’s first nine games but he suffered a sharp decline in production after attending his older brother’s funeral in New York and missing two games. He scored in double figures in only one of five games following his return, leading Miami with 16 points in the Hurricanes’ first ACC win over Clemson last week.

Grant had three 3-pointers in the first half. Freshman Shane Larkin’s 3 gave Miami its big lead of the half at 31-17.

Rice made only 1 of 6 shots in the first half, and his frustrations were obvious when he missed two free throws with 18.9 seconds left before halftime.

Rice, who leads the Yellow Jackets with his average of 13.7 points, kept shooting. Rice scored on a follow shot and then had a 3-pointer as Georgia Tech cut Miami’s lead to double figures in the opening minutes of the second half.

Rice had 13 points and nine rebounds. Julian Royal had 11.

Attendance at Philips Arena, Georgia Tech’s temporary home while its new campus facility is being built, was 5,009.

Games Notes

Starters for tonight’s game were Shane Larkin, Durand Scott, Malcolm Grant, Kenny Kadji and Reggie Johnson. This was the first time the lineup has been used this year and just the second lineup in ACC play this year.

The Canes were 9-of-17 from beyond the arc against Georgia Tech after hitting just 2-of-20 in the Jan. 22 game against NC State.

Miami’s defense picked up tonight forcing Georgia Tech to go just 20-of-56 (35.7%) from the field.

UM didn’t attempt a free throw in the first 29 minutes of the game against Georgia Tech.

Malcolm Grant was 4-of-6 from distance on his way to 11 points in the first half and finished the night with four threes and 16 points. Grant was 0-of-7 in the last outing.

Kenny Kadji scored 14 of Miami’s 29 points of the second half. Kadji ended the night with 21 points and eight rebounds. Kadji has scored in double-digit points in six of his last seven games and in 10 of the last 11 nights.

Freshman guard Shane Larkin made his first ACC start of his career. Larkin went 2-of-3 with five assists.