Clemson Men’s Basketball. picked up a 63-55 win in Atlanta over Georgia Tech on Saturday. This was the Tigers ninth straight win vs the Yellow Jackets. This was also the fourth year in a row that Clemson went 2-0 against their border state rivals, and the second year in a row where the Tigers swept Georgia Tech in football and men’s basketball. Finally, it was also Clemson’s fourth straight victory over Georgia Tech in Atlanta. The Tigers desperately needed a win to help fight for an NCAA Tournament spot, and Saturday’s win did just that. In typical Clemson fashion, the first half was a defensive low scoring affair. The Tigers entered the locker room trailing 29-23. However, a slight offensive eruption helped Clemson run out in the second half and get the victory. KJ McDaniels led the Tigers with 16 points, while Demarcus Harrison added 15 and Landry Nnoke had 13 in his first start since battling the flu. Augusta native Rod Hall put up 7 points from the point guard position. Coming off the bench, Josh Smith had 4 points and 4 rebounds for the Tigers. Harrison had a big game from behind the three point line, hitting three of four on three pointers. Clemson’s large alumni and fan base in Atlanta was once again on display in McCamish Arena. Large pockets of Clemson’s “Solid Orange” were visible amongst the crowd and Clemson’s famed “Cadence Count” loudly echoed throughout the arena. The Tiger faithful are know for showing up in large numbers to games in Atlanta of any sport. Atlanta was where Clemson’s tradition of fans using Tiger-paw stamped two dollar bills to make purchases on road trips began, as a way to show Georgia Tech the economic impact Tiger fans make on areas they visit, thus saving Clemson and Georgia Tech’s annual football game. Clemson moves to 8-6 in the ACC heading into Tuesday night’s bout with the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest. The Tigers are tied with the Pitt Panthers four fifth in the conference. Pitt beat Clemson on January 21, but the two teams will end the regular season in Littlejohn Coliseum on March 8.
