Jackets hang on for win

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Nothing comes easy on the road for Georgia Tech, not this season.

Tuesday night against Iowa in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament, the Yellow Jackets raced out to a huge first-half lead only to watch it slip away before a crowd of 9,038.

In a sign that this young Yellow Jackets team in beginning to mature, Georgia Tech regained its composure and gutted out a 79-78 victory at Carver Hawkeye Arena. B.J. Elder hit a spinning runner in the lane with 0.3 seconds remaining for the game-winner.

Georgia Tech (16-14) will again test its mettle on the road Wednesday, when the Yellow Jackets play at Texas Tech in the NIT quarterfinals. The winner of that game will earn a trip to New York City for the NIT final four.

Bosh led Georgia Tech with 17 points. The freshmen forward scored five of Georgia Tech's last eight points, all from the free throw line.

Iowa's Chauncey Leslie scored a game-high 27, including 13-of-14 from the free throw line. Leslie's layup with 17 seconds left had given Iowa a 79-78 edge.

The Yellow Jackets took the ball down the court, but fumbled it around before calling timeout with 6.2 seconds left. Elder got the ball at the top of the key and drove Iowa's Brody Boyd, then spun and hit the leaner. The ball hit the rim, bounced up and fell through.

The Yellow Jackets lost their first 10 road games of the season, many slipping away in the final minutes. But Georgia Tech, which beat Virginia in its final road game of the regular-season, refused to buckle under Iowa's withering comeback this time.

The Yellow Jackets led 36-18 with 3:45 remaining in the first half and seemed on their way to a second consecutive easy victory over a Big Ten team. Georgia Tech topped Ohio State in the first round of the NIT.

But Iowa scored the game's next 10 points and by halftime had cut the deficit to 44-37. Two minutes into the second half, it was tied. Three minutes in, Iowa led for the first time. Jeff Horner's 3-pointer put the Hawkeyes up 47-45 with 17:01 remaining.

Instead of folding, Georgia Tech steadied itself. Ed Nelson converted a three-point play on the ensuing possession and the team's traded baskets - and the lead - for much of the second half. After Georgia Tech led for the entire first half, the second half featured 21 ties and lead changes.