]RALEIGH, N.C. — DJ Horne scored 26 points, Jayden Taylor added 21 and North Carolina State pulled away early in the second half to beat Georgia Tech 82-76 on Saturday night.
N.C. State (15-7, 7-4 ACC) trailed by one at the half but opened the second on a 27-11 run for a 62-48 lead with about nine minutes remaining. Horne scored nine points, and Casey Morsell and Jayden Taylor each chipped in with six points each during the stretch.
Miles Kelly's 3-pointer pulled Georgia Tech to 76-70 with 45 seconds left. The Wolfpack sealed it at the free-throw line.
Taylor and Horne were a combined 14-of-35 shooting from the field and made seven of the Wolfpacks' nine baskets from long range. Morsell finished with 15 points and DJ Burns Jr. added eight points to go with 10 rebounds.
N.C. State made 21 of 27 (78%) free throws and committed just four turnovers. Georgia Tech was 17-of-25 shooting (68%) at the line and grabbed five more rebounds (47-42), but it gave up 18 points on 12 turnovers.
Kelly scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Georgia Tech (10-12, 3-8), which was coming off a 74-73 upset win against No. 3 North Carolina, but has lost four of its last five games. Naithan George added 18 points and Kowacie Reeves Jr. had 12.
George scored 12 points and Kelly had nine as the Yellow Jackets built a 36-35 halftime lead. Horne scored 10 first-half points for the Wolfpack.
Georgia Tech hosts Wake Forest on Tuesday. N.C. State will look for its third straight victory when its hosts Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
