Tigers Defeat Georgia Tech, 74-62
CLEMSON, S.C. (CAC) — Elijah Thomas produced his first career double-double and Avry Holmes added 18 points as Clemson won its second straight game, 74-62 over a surging Georgia Tech team on Wednesday in Littlejohn Coliseum. The Tigers moved to 13-8 on the season, 3-6 in ACC play. Tech fell to 13-9 overall (5-5 in the ACC). Clemson’s win was its 12th straight at home over Georgia Tech, the program’s longest such streak in history over an ACC foe.
Thomas had 12 points to go with a career-high 10 rebounds. Holmes was perfect from three, hitting all four of his attempts. Shelton Mitchell added 15 points, his second straight game in double figures. Ben Lammers scored a career-high for Tech, pumping in 25 points in a losing effort.
The Tigers shot 44 percent for the game, despite poor numbers behind the arc (.313) and at the free throw line (.656). The biggest difference was rebounding, where Clemson actually had a +2 advantage. In three straight wins over the Tigers dating to last season, Tech had outrebounded Clemson by 38 on the glass.
Clemson led 11-7 after a score by Donte Grantham, but Tech reeled off nine consecutive points to take a five-point lead just past the midway point of the opening frame. Holmes knotted the game at 16 on his second three-point goal of the game, and Jaron Blossomgame drove baseline and hammered in a reverse dunk and added a free throw to give Clemson a 25-20 lead with 3:38 left. Holmes canned his third trifecta inside the final minute and Mitchell followed with a drive to put Clemson ahead 32-24 at intermission.
Lammers kept Tech in it early in the second half, extending on his point total before Thomas battled back on the boards. His layup gave Clemson its largest advantage at 39-26. The lead extended to Clemson’s largest over an ACC team when Mitchell hit a tough layup in traffic to put the Tigers up 53-32 with 9:35 to play. Lammers went on a scoring binge to pull the Jackets within 12 at 64-52. They later strung together buckets and cut the deficit to seven at 65-58 with 2:14 left. Still up only seven, the Jackets missed a long-ball attempt by Quinton Stephens and Thomas ripped down his 10th rebound and added a free throw on the other end. The Tigers made 9-10 free throws inside the final two minutes to seal it.
The Tigers return to action on Sunday at No. 15 Florida State. Tipoff is set for 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU from the Donald L. Tucker Center.
