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GREENSBORO — Derrick Favors wasn't trying to dodge the question, he just had no answer to give. Did it feel like Georgia Tech's whole season was riding on this game?

"I assure you, he has no idea the ramifications of this game," head coach Paul Hewitt said with a smile after his other-worldly freshman stared down the dais at him for an answer. "He doesn't watch other basketball. He's not being naive or anything, that's the way he is. It's one of the things I love about him."

Within that vacuum Thursday, the ACC rookie of the year played like a man who had been planning for the postseason. He posted a game-high 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting and added nine rebounds and five blocks as he and Georgia Tech simply muscled hapless UNC out of the tournament it annually owns. The final score: 62-58.

Whether he was aware of it or not, Favors also likely bolstered Georgia Tech's tournament resume beyond reproach. Even with six losses in their previous nine games, the Yellow Jackets entered Thursday ranked 30th in the RPI with the 14th toughest schedule in the country, including wins over Duke and Clemson. They haven't lost to anybody with an RPI higher than 87, the reason they're the highest rated 11-loss team in the nation.

Both the team and Favors appear to be regaining form at a good time. After a midseason swoon, the 6-foot-10 forward has now scored in double figures in six straight games, during which time he's averaging 16.7 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 41-of-61 (67 percent) from the floor. Hewitt said adding weight to an already freakish frame has helped.

"His arms are a lot bigger now," Hewitt said. "He looked like Olive Oil early on. Gani (Lawal) took him in the weight room after every game."

Favors, named to the Sporting News' national All-Freshman Team, is projected as a top-10 pick if he chooses to enter the NBA draft, which is almost guaranteed with that much money waiting. In the meantime, he could be enough for Tech to give second-seeded Maryland another scare today after a 2-point Yellow Jacket loss in College Park on Feb. 20.

Favors opened Thursday's game on a 5-0 run and kept pounding it inside even as Carolina sent both Tyler Zeller and John Henson at him.

"I played offense better than they played defense," he said.Like his logic, sometimes the game really is that simple.

Contact Tom Keller at 373-7034 or tom.keller@news-record.com

Why Georgia Tech won

The Yellow Jackets held UNC without a field goal for the final 5:13 and got key baskets when needed. Tech clawed back in it with a 7-0 run to open the second half and stayed in it by shoring up its rebounding after surrendering 14 offensive boards to UNC in the first half. The Yellow Jackets won despite taking 13 fewer shots than Carolina.

Why North Carolina lost

The Tar Heels led by 10 at the half despite missing five shots from point-blank range, but that blemish soon became too ugly to cover. Carolina shot 10-of-33 in the second half (30.3 percent), including 1-of-9 from behind the arc. Will Graves missed a wide-open three that could have made it interesting late. “Last year,” Williams said, “we made that shot.” Georgia Tech, meanwhile, shot 50 percent for the second half.

Play of the game

After Graves’ contorted layup with 5:13 left pulled UNC even at 56 and ignited an otherwise sleepy crowd, D’Andre Bell made a step-back 16-footer from the top of the key to give the Yellow Jackets the lead for good.

The key player

Derrick Favors. The 6-foot-10 Yellow Jackets freshman made 7-of-8 shots for a game-high 18 points, sixth straight game in double figures. He added nine rebounds and five blocks. “I just took it upon myself not to let my team lose,” he said. “There was an opportunity for me to score and I took it.”

What they’re saying

“It wasn’t pretty. We scrapped, we fought for loose balls, we pounded it inside and we came away with a win.” — Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech forward

“If you’ve ever coached and felt like you’ve given your team everything you can and yet it still doesn’t turn out, what are you supposed to say? ... It’s the most inadequate feeling any coach can have.” — Roy Williams, North Carolina coach

Noting the game

Georgia Tech completed its second three-game sweep of Carolina in school history, joining the 1984-85 team. ... This was the Yellow Jackets’ eighth ACC game this season decided by four points or less. ... Tech is now 18-1 when its opponent shoots below 40 percent from the floor. ... This was Carolina’s first time playing on the tournament’s opening day, the last ACC team to do so. ... The Tar Heels have failed to advance to the championship game in their last three tournaments played in Greensboro. ... Tyler Zeller had 17 points and 10 rebounds, but he was the only Tar Heel to shoot better than 50 percent (7-of-11). Graves was 2-for-12, Marcus Ginyard 2-for-8 and Larry Drew 1-for-9.

NORTH CAROLINA (16-16) — Ginyard 2-8 2-2 6, Drew II 1-9 1-2 3, Graves 2-12 1-2 6, Thompson 5-12 0-0 10, Henson 3-7 0-0 6, Strickland 0-1 2-2 2, McDonald 1-4 0-0 2, T.Wear 2-5 1-2 6, Zeller 7-11 3-4 17. Totals 23-69 10-14 58.

GEORGIA TECH (20-11) — Shumpert 3-10 1-2 9, Bell 3-8 1-3 8, Favors 7-8 4-5 18, Lawal 5-8 2-5 12, Rice Jr. 3-8 0-0 8, Udofia 0-1 0-0 0, M.Miller 1-4 0-0 2, Oliver 0-5 0-0 0, Peacock 2-4 1-1 5. Totals 24-56 9-16 62.

North Carolina 34 24 — 58
Georgia Tech 24 38 — 62

3-point goals—North Carolina 2-16 (T.Wear 1-1, Graves 1-8, Ginyard 0-1, McDonald 0-2, Drew II 0-4), Georgia Tech 5-19 (Rice Jr. 2-4, Shumpert 2-6, Bell 1-2, Udofia 0-1, M.Miller 0-1, Oliver 0-5).

Fouled out—None.

Rebounds—North Carolina 46 (Zeller 10), Georgia Tech 37 (Favors 9).

Assists—North Carolina 16 (Drew II 8), Georgia Tech 11 (Shumpert 4).

Blocked shots—North Carolina 2 (Henson 2), Georgia Tech 8 (Favors 5, Lawal 2).

Turnovers—North Carolina 10 (Drew 5), Georgia Tech 14 (Bell 3, Favors 3, Rice Jr. 3).

Steals—North Carolina 5 (Ginyard 3), Georgia Tech 6 (M.Miller 2).

Total fouls—North Carolina 15, Georgia Tech 14.

A—na.