Jackets Suffer Another Close Defeat at Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C. – Georgia Tech let a 13-point second-half lead slip away and Clemson’s Naz Bohannon converted an old-fashioned 3-point play with 14 seconds to go to hand the Yellow Jackets a 68-65 defeat on Wednesday evening at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Tech, which led 33-26 at halftime, used a 14-2 run early in second half to take a commanding 49-36 lead on Kyle Sturdivant’s fast-break 3-pointer with just under 14 minutes left in the game. The Yellow Jackets’ advantage remained at 13 points with less than 12 minutes to go, but they scored just eight points over the next nine-plus minutes, which allowed Clemson to rally for a 61-60 lead.

The final 2:37 of the contest featured three ties and two lead changes. Tech’s Rodney Howard made 1-of-2 free throws with 42 seconds remaining to knot the back-and-forth affair at 65-65, but on Clemson’s final possession, Bohannon backed his way into the low post against the smaller Michael Devoe and was fouled as he scored the go-ahead basket. He made the ensuing free throw to complete the 3-point play and give the Tigers a 68-65 lead.

Sturdivant’s long attempt at a game-tying 3-pointer was off the mark at the buzzer and the Jackets fell by less than five points for the seventh time this season and the third time in their last four games.

Devoe led Georgia Tech with 15 points and seven rebounds. Sturdivant added 12 points and led the Yellow Jackets with five assists and four steals. Howard rounded out three Jackets in double figures with 11 points.

David Collins was Clemson’s only scorer in double figures with a game-high 19 points.

Georgia Tech closes out the regular season on Saturday when it hosts Boston College for Senior Day at McCamish Pavilion. Tipoff is set for noon. The game will be televised regionally on the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Regional Sports Network (RSN – Bally Sports South in Georgia).

Michael Devoe led Georgia Tech with 15 points and seven rebounds on Wednesday night at Clemson. (photo courtesy of Grace Sorrells)

Post-Game Notes

• Tech employed its ninth different starting lineup this season, inserting freshman Deebo Coleman for senior Khalid Moore, who had started all 29 games before Wednesday night. Coleman made his fourth start of the season.
• Tech utilized seven players against Clemson, and all of them scored. Only one other time this season has Tech utilized as few as seven players in a game (Jan. 26 vs. Florida State). Backup point guard Deivon Smith did not play for the fourth straight game while under concussion protocol. At least nine players have seen action in 21 of the Jackets’ 30 games, and in 12 of 19 ACC games.
• Tech has lost seven games by five points or fewer this season, five of them in conference play and three of them in its current four-game losing streak. Four other ACC losses have come by 10 points or fewer.
• Tech has won the turnover battle in 12 of its last 17 games (12 for Tech to 13 for Clemson). Tech has forced 13.3 turnovers against ACC teams this season (No. 3 in the conference), and is No. 2 in steals (8.3 per game).
• Tech has committed more fouls than its opponent in 22 of 30 games this season (73.3 percent of the time). In Josh Pastner’s first five seasons, the Jackets did so in 65 of 157 games (41.4 percent of the time).
• Tech has hit 74.7 percent of its free throws (91-of-122) over its 10 games since a 3-for10 performance Jan. 29 against Miami.

• Rodney Howard has scored in double figures in six of Tech’s last seven games (11 points on 4-7 FG at Clemson).
• Howard has averaged 12.3 points and 7.0 rebounds over Tech’s last seven games and hit 37-of-58 shots from the floor (63.8 pct.) in that stretch.
• Michael Devoe has reached double figures in all but four games this season. He has averaged 20 points in the four games that have followed his single-digit games (23 vs. Louisville, 22 vs. Wake Forest, 20 at Miami, 15 at Clemson).
• Devoe surpassed Tony Akins (1,658 points from 1998-2002) for 12^th place on Georgia Tech’s all-time scoring list. He has 1,671 points in his Tech career.
• Kyle Sturdivant has a 39:14 assist/turnover ratio over his last 13 games dating back to Jan. 23 vs. Clayton State. He has played 10 turnover-free games this season and has a 44:19 ratio in ACC games.
• Freshman Deebo Coleman has hit 22-of-53 tries from three-point range (41.5 percent) in his previous 14 games.
• Coleman played a season high 34:36 and did not turn the ball over for the 16^th time this season. He has just 19 turnovers in more than 691 minutes (11 in 466 ACC minutes).
• Freshman Miles Kelly has hit 15-of-36 (41.7) from three-point range over Tech’s last 10 games dating back to Jan. 23 vs. Clayton State. He was 5-for-30 over the Jackets’ first 17 games of the season.

Kyle Sturdivant had 12 points, five assists and four steals on Wednesday night at Clemson. (photo courtesy of Grace Sorrells)

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