CLEMSON BASKETBALL

Georgia Tech powers past Clemson 75-63

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ATLANTA — Ben Lammers had 23 points and 10 rebounds, Quinton Stephens added 16 points and Georgia Tech beat Clemson 75-63 on Thursday night.

The inexperienced Yellow Jackets, who upset North Carolina and played Louisville tough, pulled off another surprising performance at home under first-year coach Josh Pastner.

Josh Okogie finished with 13 points, and Tadric Jackson scored 10 for the Yellow Jackets (10-6, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference). Georgia Tech was projected to be among the league’s worst teams this season.

Jaron Blossomgame scored 20 points, and Avry Holmes added 14 for Clemson (11-5, 1-3). The Tigers have lost three straight.

Clemson cut the lead to five on Gabe DeVoe’s 3 with 3:15 remaining, and Stephens missed a 3 at the shot-clock buzzer on the ensuing possession, but Okogie grabbed a rebound and fed Stephens for a dunk that made it 63-55.

Lammers has blossomed under Pastner, ranking third in the ACC in rebounding average and field-goal percentage. The Jackets outrebounded Clemson 40-29.

Both teams were coming off consecutive losses to ranked ACC teams, Clemson to North Carolina and Notre Dame, Georgia Tech to Duke and Louisville.

BIG PICTURE

Clemson: Coach Brad Brownell was 10-1 in the series before losing the last two games. Georgia Tech won in the ACC tournament last year with a veteran team of transfers, but this group of Jackets is the nation’s least experienced team.

The Tigers have plenty of experience with two graduates, a senior and a junior in its starting lineup, and the matchup looked favorable. But Clemson missed 16 of its first 21 field-goal attempts and had just two leads, both early in the second half by one point.

Georgia Tech: Pastner was visibly furious at Jackson’s effort on defense midway through the first half. The emotional display seemed to pay off.

Just as a media timeout started after Sidy Djitte’s tip-in cut the lead to four, Pastner stormed on the floor on Georgia Tech’s end, flailed his arms and yelled at Jackson. The coach barked at him a few seconds later near the bench before calming down and bringing the team together to discuss strategy.

Jackson, the team’s third-leading scorer this season, returned midway through the second half and quickly hit a 3 in front of the Tech bench to put the Jackets up 43-40. He scored eight of points and had four rebounds in the second half.

MAKING A SPLASH

Okogie began the night with 211 points, the most by a Jacket freshman since 2006-07 when Thaddeus Young, in his only season before heading to the NBA, scored 211 in 14 games.

AVOIDING MISTAKES

Clemson had just eight turnovers, three under its season average. The Tigers began the game leading the ACC and ranked 13th nationally with a plus-4.6 margin.

UP NEXT

Clemson: Hosts Virginia on Saturday.

Georgia Tech: Visits North Carolina State on Sunday.