Clemson Topples Tech, 72-60

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Clemson, S.C. – Marcquise Reed scored 30 points and keyed a 20-2 opening run in the first half, leading Clemson to a 72-60 victory over Georgia Tech Wednesday night at Littlejohn Coliseum. James Banks led the Yellow Jackets with 16 points.

Tech (10-7, 2-2 ACC) struggled offensively in the early going, missing six of its first seven shots and turning the ball over four times in the first eight minutes of the game. Reed scored five of his 10 field goals in the stretch as Clemson (11-6, 1-3) captured its first ACC win of the season.

Jose Alvarado and Curtis Haywood II helped the Jackets find their footing, each hitting a pair of three-point baskets and scoring eight points each while Tech rallied to within 35-30 at the half.

But Elijah Thomas dunked to begin a 7-0 Tiger spurt to start the second half, putting Clemson up 42-30, and the Yellow Jackets would get no closer than eight points (68-60 with 1:20 left) the rest of the game.

Banks hit 6-of-11 shots from the floor and blocked four shots for Tech, while Alvarado finished the game with 10 points. Moses Wright scored nine points of the bench, and Michael Devoe added eight for the Jackets, who shot 47.7 percent from the floor.

Thomas scored 11 points with nine rebounds, and David Skara added 10 for the Tigers, who connected on 50.9 percent from the floor and hit seven three-point field goals.

Tech returns to action Saturday afternoon, playing host to Louisville in a regionally-televised game at McCamish Pavilion. Tip time is 4 p.m. for the game, which will be televised regionally over the Raycom Sports ACC Network (Peachtree TV in Atlanta).

Jose Alvarado finished the game with 10 points, his 13th double-digit game this season.

 

Post-Game Notes

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

• Georgia Tech starting lineup: Alvarado, Devoe, Haywood II, Cole, Banks III
• First subs for Georgia Tech: Wright for Cole  – 18:26-1^st half
• On the floor for Georgia Tech at the end: Cole, Moore, Ogbonda, Sjolund, Wright
• Opening tap won by Clemson – Georgia Tech has won the opening tap nine times in 17 games this season
• Series record vs. Clemson: Georgia Tech is 62-71 overall, 16-45 on the road, 1-4 under Josh Pastner, 4-15 vs. Brad Brownell
• Current series trend: Clemson won the last four meetings
• Georgia Tech is 8-3 at McCamish Pavilion this season, 80-40 in its sixth season in the building, 37-14 under Josh Pastner
• Georgia Tech is 2-3 on the road this season, 2-4 away from McCamish Pavilion
• Georgia Tech’s next game: Saturday, Jan. 19, vs. Louisville (4 p.m., McCamish Pavilion)

 TEAM NOTES

• Georgia Tech used its seventh different starting lineup of the season against Clemson, with sophomore Evan Cole replacing Abdoulaye Gueye, sidelined with an injury after starting the Yellow Jackets’ last game at Syracuse Saturday night, alongside Jose Alvarado, Michael Devoe, Curtis Haywood and James Banks III. Devoe, a freshman, has started Tech’s last nine games, having made his first collegiate start at Arkansas. Cole started for the first time since the first two games of the season, having missed seven games in the interim with an ankle injury. Haywood started his second straight game and 12^th of the season, while Banks has started the last 12 straight games in the post, and. Jose Alvarado has started 16 of the 17 Tech games.
• No Tech player has started every game this season, and 10 different players have started three or more games.
• Despite the absences of Alston and Gueye, Tech used 10 players in the game at Clemson, all for at least five minutes and seven for 10 or more. At least eight players have seen significant minutes in all of Tech’s games this season, nine vs. Northwestern, St. John’s and Georgia despite Evan Cole missing those games with an ankle injury, and nine vs. Virginia Tech with Curtis Haywood out with an illness.
• Tech has lost 14 straight games to Clemson on the road.
• Wake Forest (74.4 ppg, scored 79) and Clemson (71.4 ppg, scored 72) are the only Georgia Tech opponents to exceed their season scoring averages this season this season against the Yellow Jackets this season. Tech had held every other opponent this season under its season scoring average – breakdown by game: Lamar 81.8 (69), Tennessee 85.5 (66), East Carolina 71.1 (54), UTRGV 70.2 (44), Prairie View A&M 69.2 (54), Northwestern 73.5 (67), St. John’s 83.5 (76), Florida A&M 63.2 (40), Gardner-Webb 82.9 (79), Arkansas 81.8 (69), Georgia 79.2 (70), Kennesaw State 62.5 (57), USC Upstate 70.9 (63), Virginia Tech 81.1 (52), Syracuse 70.9 (59).
• Clemson was only the second team to shoot 50 percent (50.9) against Georgia Tech this season. ACC opponents have shot 37.9 percent from the floor against the Yellow Jackets, 28.6 from three-point range. Tech came into the Clemson game ranking second in the ACC in both categories.
• In its last six games, Tech has connected on 54.2 percent of its field goal tries, 36.1 percent of its three-point attempts and 71.0 percent of its free throws, averaging 73.3 points per game.
• In the same six-game stretch, Tech’s opponents have hit 37 percent from the floor, 27.9 percent of their threes and 69.8 percent of their free throws, averaging 63.7 points per game.
• Reflecting an emphasis in practice on offensive tempo, particularly early in the shot clock, Tech has piled up 106 assists on 156 made field goals in its last six games (67.9 percent), including 59.7 percent in ACC games.
• Tech’s ACC opponents have attempted 59 more shots from the floor and 39 more three-point field goals than have the Yellow Jackets through four games.
• Tech has averaged just under 12 three-point attempts in ACC games, and converted 37.3 percent of them. The Jackets attempted 18.9 three-pointers and converted 30.5 percent in non-conference games.
• Despite Tech’s lineup shuffle against Clemson, the Yellow Jackets’ bench outscored the Tigers’ reserves, 18-10. For the season, Tech reserves have averaged 25.7 points per game to 15.5 for the opponents.

PASTNER’S KEY METRICS

• Assists to made field goals: Tech assisted on seven of 21 made field goals (33 percent) against Clemson, falling short its nightly goal of 60 percent. The Jackets have 106 assists on 156 field goals (67.9 percent) in its last six games. The Jackets are at 59.1 percent for the season, 23^rd in the nation, and 59.7 percent in ACC games.
• Free throws made to opponents’ attempts: Tech connected on 14-of-21 free throw attempts to Clemson’s 11-of-14 (nightly goal of making more than opponent tries not accomplished). Tech is 37-14 under Josh Pastner when attempting more free throws than the opponent.
• Turnovers: Tech has averaged 15.0 turnovers per game this season, 16.3 in ACC games to date. Target each night is 11 or fewer, which Tech has met twice this season (both wins). More telling for Tech under Josh Pastner is that when Tech has committed fewer turnovers than its opponent, it is 22-13. When it has committed more, it is 18-23.
• Guard rebounding: Tech’s guards combined for 11 of Tech’s 20 defensive rebounds against Clemson. The group of Alvarado, Alston, Devoe, Haywood, Moore and Phillips has combined to take 205 of Tech’s 436 defensive rebounds this season (47 percent).

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Sophomore Jose Alvarado scored 10 points at Clemson for his 13^th double-figure scoring game this season and eighth in nine games. Since a 3-for-20 afternoon against Georgia, the gritty 6-foot guard has hit 24-of-48 from the floor, 11-of-25 threes, in Tech’s last six games, and he has 22 assists against just 13 turnovers, as well as 21 rebounds. He led the Jackets with five rebounds against the Tigers
• Sophomore guard Curtis Haywood II has converted 6-of-13 three-point attempts (46.2 pct.), and 52.9 percent from the floor in ACC games. He made 2-of-3 from distance against Clemson and has made 37.5 percent for the season, second behind Brandon Alston’s 40.9 percent, on 72 attempts, second behind Alvarado’s 85.
• James Banks III has eight double-figure scoring games this season after scoring 16 at Clemson. Banks has 16 points in each of his last two games, hitting 12-of-21 from the floor and 8-of-10 from the free throw line. Banks has connected on 59.5 percent of his shots from the floor in ACC games, averaging 13.5 points per game, and 58.5 percent for the entire season.
• Freshman Michael Devoe has started eight straight games and logged six double-figure scoring games this season.
• After a DNP at Syracuse, Moses Wright played 21 minutes off the bench at Clemson, scoring nine points (4-7 FG) with four rebounds.
• Shembari Phillips played 10 minutes off the bench at Clemson, his most since playing 12 against Kennesaw State on Dec. 28, and hit his first bucket since USC Upstate on Jan. 2.
• The absence of Abdoulaye Gueye and some early foul trouble for James Banks allowed Sylvester Ogbonda to get into a game for the first time since Dec. 28 against Kennesaw State. The 6-10 junior played seven minutes, his most since the third game of the season against East Carolina, and scored his first basket since Dec. 9 against Florida A&M. He also blocked two shots.
• Abdoulaye Gueye, one game after returning to the starting lineup at Syracuse and scoring 10 points, did not play at Clemson due to an injury. Senior guard Brandon Alston also did not play against Clemson due to personal reasons.

Curtis Haywood II hit a pair of threes and scored eight points.

 

Multimedia

Game Highlights

Coach Josh Pastner Post-Game Audio