HALFTIME: GT 33, Clemson 29

Kelly’s 3-Point Stance:

1. Bench Production: The Tiger bench proved to be very productive in the first half of play, scoring 19 points. Nikki Dixon and Tiffany Lewis have combined for 17 of those 19 points bench points at intermission.
2. Living at the Line: Clemson continued its impressive free throw shooting this season, knocking down 10 out of 12 free throw attempts in the first half.
3. Defense on Davis: The Tigers managed to get Kaela Davis, the team’s leading scorer and second leading scorer in the ACC (20.1 ppg), into foul trouble early and held her to to only three points in the first half.

Fun Fact of the First Half:

• Today’s game marks senior Nikki Dixon’s eighth game vs. Georgia Tech, the most played opponent of her career. The Atlanta-area-native comes in to this contest averaging 15.9 ppg against the Yellow Jackets and already has 13 at halftime.

Keys to Victory:

• Georgia Tech took advantage of their size and experience in the post in the first half, outrebounding the Tigers 25-19 and scoring 12 points off of those second chances. Clemson needs to step up and find a way to grab rebounds in the second half.
• The Yellow Jackets are known for their defensive pressure and have shown why in the first half of play, forcing the Tigers into 10 turnovers. Clemson needs to take better care of the ball, especially when Georgia Tech applies full court pressure.
• Clemson committed 11 fouls in the first half and consequently, put Georgia Tech on the free throw line 15 times. The Tigers need to foul less in the second half and force the Yellow Jackets to beat them from the field, not from the charity stripe.