Senior guards Marcus Georges-Hunt and Adam Smith combined for 39 points to lift Georgia Tech to an 81-62 win over Houston in the first round of the NIT on Wednesday in Atlanta.

The fourth-seeded Yellow Jackets advance to a second-round matchup at top-seeded South Carolina.

Smith scored 20 points, hitting three 3-pointers, and added four assists. Georges-Hunt finished with 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting and added four assists. Georgia Tech also got 12 points and seven rebounds from Charles Mitchell.

The Yellow Jackets (20-14) posted the 15th 20-win season in school history while winning for the seventh time in nine games.

Fifth-seeded Houston (22-10) was led by forward Devonta Pollard with 21 points and guard Damyean Dotson with 14 points and six rebounds.

Georgia Tech used a 9-2 run late in the first half to build a nine-point lead. The stretch included a pair of 3-pointers by Smith, the second one with a free throw tacked on, and a driving basket by Georges-Hunt. Georgia Tech led 41-32 at the half.