LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Matt Carlino had a career-high 38 points to lead Marquette past Georgia Tech 72-70 Friday night in the opening round of the Orlando Classic.
After Georgia Tech's Tadric Jackson cut the Yellow Jackets' deficit to 69-68, Carlino made two free throws for a three-point lead. On the ensuing Georgia Tech possession, Marcus Georges-Hunt scored on a layup with 2 seconds to play, which only got the Yellow Jackets (3-1) within 71-70.
Marquette added one free late throw before a last-chance full-court Georgia Tech shot fell well short at the buzzer.
Carlino's long-range jumper put Marquette (3-2) ahead 41-37 6 minutes into the second half. Another 3-pointer by the guard and Duane Wilson's two free throws made it 58-49 with 6:40 left.
Marquette's Juan Anderson finished with 12 points. Carlino went 8 for 18 from the field and made 14 of 16 free throws.
Jackson had 17 points and Georges-Hunt added 14 for Georgia Tech, which was looking for its first 4-0 start since 2008-09.
Georgia Tech trailed most of the opening half, but took a 28-27 lead when Chris Bolden hit a 3 with 2 minutes left. Josh Heath's final-minute basket gave the Yellow Jackets a 31-29 halftime advantage.
Carlino had 15 first-half points, on 5-of-10 shooting.
TIP-INS
Marquette: This was the first meeting between the teams since a Golden Eagles' 63-45 victory on Jan. 3, 1977, the season that Marquette won the national championship. ... Guard Derrick Wilson, battling a leg injury, started. He had seven points and five assists.
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets haven't won an early-season tournament since winning the 2003 Pre-Season NIT. ... Guard Travis Jorgenson, bothered by soreness in surgically-repaired right knee recently, was in the starting lineup and had no points and one assist in 14 minutes.
UP NEXT
Marquette will play No. 20 Michigan State in a Friday night semifinal. The Spartans beat Rider 77-45 earlier Thursday.
Georgia Tech and Rider will meet Friday night in the consolation round.
