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UCLA, Georgia Tech meet in Maui championship game

Nov 22, 2006 - 3:44 PM No. 19 Georgia Tech (5-0) at No. 5 UCLA (3-0) 10:00 pm EST

MAUI, Hawaii (Ticker) - UCLA and Georgia Tech took two difference routes to get to the final.

The fifth-ranked Bruins meet the No. 19 Yellow Jackets in the championship game of the Maui Invitational tournament Wednesday.

Thanks in large part to Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, UCLA held off a comeback attempt by 22nd-ranked Kentucky to post a 73-68 victory Tuesday. Mbah a Moute scored 18 points, Arron Afflalo added 14 and Lorenzo Mata finished with 12 and 11 rebounds for the Bruins, who nearly squandered a 17-point lead.

Meanwhile, Georgia Tech overcame a deficit to gain entry into the final game. The Yellow Jackets rallied from 19 points down for a 92-85 triumph over 11th-ranked Memphis on Tuesday in the semifinal.

Jeremis Smith netted 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Lewis Clinch added 17 points and Ra'Sean Dickey contributed 14 and 10 boards for Georgia Tech, which trailed, 46-30, at the half.

UCLA owns a 2-1 edge in the all-time series.