Coral Gables, FL (Sports Network) - James Dews scored 20 points, as 25th- ranked Miami-Florida outlasted Georgia Tech, 78-68, in its conference opener at BankUnited Center.

Jack McClinton finished with 14 points, including an 8-for-8 effort from the free throw line for Miami (14-1, 1-0 ACC), which has won two in a row after losing its only game of the season, a 76-70 decision against Winthrop on December 29.

Jimmy Graham had 13 points, and Brian Asbury scored 11 for Miami. The Hurricanes were just 2-of-19 from beyond the arc, but won the game at the foul line, where they made 26-of-32 attempts.

Jeremis Smith scored a game-high 21 points and grabbed 10 boards, but Georgia Tech (7-8, 0-2) lost its second in a row. Anthony Morrow finished with 17 points and Lewis Clinch had 13.

The Hurricanes, who led by just two at halftime, went on a 10-2 run early in the second half -- which turned out to be all the cushion it would need.

After Smith converted a three-point play to bring the Yellow Jackets within three, Graham started the Hurricanes' surge with a pair of free throws. McClinton also had a pair, and Dews hit a pair of threes.

"We felt like with them denying (McClinton), we all as a team felt like we had to pick it up," Dews said.

Dews' trey with 13:29 left put Miami ahead 51-40. Though the Hurricanes never extended that lead by any substantial measure, the Yellow Jackets never trimmed it down, either.

The closest Georgia Tech came to drawing even with Miami was with 5:45 left, when Clinch connected on a three to bring his team within 63-56. McClinton followed that with a pair of free throws to put the Hurricanes back up by nine, and they held that margin until the end of the game.

"They were ready to play. Give Georgia Tech credit, they were ready to play, but our guys withstood it and by the end of the half we had the lead," Miami head coach Frank Haith. "I thought we really didn't play well and when we went into the half leading it was a good thing."

Georgia Tech came out shooting well and held a 14-4 lead early, after a Clinch three, and later took a 19-7 lead after a D'Andre Bell three midway through the first half.

But Miami responded with an 11-0 run, which Asbury ended with a layup to bring the Hurricanes within 22-21 with 5:23 on the clock. From that point it was a basket-trading affair until halftime, when Miami held a 33-31 lead.