Clemson Returns To Court Against Yale

Jan. 1, 2002

Clemson, S.C. — Clemson’s men’s basketball team (9-4) returns to the hardcourt Wednesday (Jan. 2nd) evening to face a 7-6 Yale Bulldog team. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM at Littlejohn Coliseum.

It will be Clemson’s second straight game against a team from Connecticut. The Tigers defeated the University of Hartford in Uncasville, CT last Friday evening, 78-48. Clemson had played a team from Connecticut just twice in its first 1055 games in history and now will play a team from the Nutmeg state for the second straight game.

Yale will be playing its third straight game in the state of South Carolina. The Bulldogs lost two games in the Poinsettia Classic in Greenville over the weekend, 79-69 to Gardner Webb and 90-82 to Macalester. Earlier this year Yale won at Penn State, handing the Nittany Lions their first home non-conference game in 54 contests. Clemson also defeated Penn State on the road this year. That is the only common opponent for the two clubs.

The Bulldogs are an uptempo team and average 80.5 points per game. Five players are averaging in double figures, led by Edwin Draughan (13.1) and Paul Vitelli (12.5). Yale is shooting 36.4 percent on three-point attempts and has a +7.6 rebound margin. One of their most exciting games was a 116-102 double overtime loss at George Washington.

This will be the second meeting between Clemson and Yale. The Tigers defeated Yale at Clemson during the 1976-77 season by a 104-50 score. Stan Rome led the Tigers with 22 points and six steals, while Tree Rollins had 18 points, 16 rebounds and six blocked shots. Dick Shea led Yale with 16 points. Clemson shot 65.2 percent from the field in the game, hitting 43-66 shots from the field, one of just three games in the decade of the 1970s that Clemson made 65 percent from the field in a game.

Clemson enters this game off consecutive wins of at least 30 points, an 82-45 win over Charleston Southern and the 78-48 win over Hartford. It is the first time since 1998-99, Larry Shyatt’s first year as head coach, that Clemson has won consecutive games by 30 points. Chris Hobbs leads the Tigers in scoring with 13.1 points a game and he is second in rebounding with a 6.0 figure. Edward Scott averages 10.1 points a game, 7.3 assists per game and 4.7 rebounds. Ray Henderson is the top rebounder with a 9.3 figure. He is coming off a 13-point, 12-rebound performance against Hartford. Clemson has a +9.6 rebound margin for the year, a record pace in school history.

This will be Clemson’s final non-conference game of the regular season. Clemson travels to Georgia Tech on Saturday, January 5 for a 12:00 Noon game with the Yellow Jackets. Clemson has already won four games away from home this year, one more than it had all of last season.

Clemson Starters (9-4)#10 Edward Scott, 6-0, Jr., 10.1 PPG, 4.7 REB, 7.2 Assists#00 Tony Stockman, 6-0, So., 9.0 PPG, 1.5 REB#21 Ray Henderson, 6-8, Jr. 9.7 PPG, 9.3 REB#43 Chris Hobbs, 6-7, So, 13.1 PPG, 6.0 REB#33 Jamar McKnight, 6-5, Sr.,  9.8 PPG, 3.7 REB

Yale Starters (7-6) #20 Alex Gamboa, 6-0, Fr., 12.2 PPG, 2.7 REB #4 Edwin Draughan, 6-5, Fr., 13.1 PPG, 4.7 REB #40 T.J. McHugh, 6-8, Jr., 10.5 PPG, 7.0 REB #00 Ime Achibong, 6-3, Jr., 11.5 PPG, 4.1 REB #33 Paul Vitelli, 6-7, So, 12.5 PPG, 8.2 REB