Clemson vs. Georgia Tech Postgame Notes

With Tuesday’s 63-60 win, Clemson has now won six in a row in the series, and eight in a row in Littlejohn Coliseum over Georgia Tech in improving to 62-59 all-time against the Jackets.
Clemson Head Coach Brad Brownell is undefeated in five games against Georgia Tech, as his Tiger teams swept the Yellow Jackets in both 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Clemson is now 17-4 at home under Brownell in ACC play. The Tigers were 7-1 in his first season, 2010-11, and 6-2 last season. Clemson has now won four straight at home after dropping its opener to Florida State on Jan. 5.
The Tigers trailed by as many as 10 in the first half, when Tech had a 20-10 lead. It is the largest deficit overcome for a victory in any game this season for the Tigers. The previous largest deficit overcome was a six-point deficit against Marist on Nov. 25. It was the largest deficit overcome since Clemson won last season over Virginia Tech on Senior Day, 58-56, after trailing by 10 in the opening half.
Clemson held Georgia Tech without a point for the final 5:02 of the first half. Georgia Tech next scored at the 18:17 mark of the second half, a total scoreless drought of 6:45. Clemson scored ten points during that stretch.
The Tigers had 12 steals in the game, their second-highest total of the season behind the 16 they nabbed against The Citadel on Jan. 1.
Clemson shot just 6-of-12 (.500) from the free throw line, their lowest mark of the season with a minimum of ten attempts. That comes one game after shooting 23-29 (.793) in the last game against Virginia Tech.
Georgia Tech outrebounded Clemson, 35-34. Clemson had been 3-5 this season when losing that margin and 8-3 when coming out ahead.
Clemson improved to 11-2 when leading at halftime. Clemson is just 1-6 when tied or behind at the half.
After allowing Tech to make 9-of-11 to start the game, the Clemson defense clamped down to hold the Jackets to .325 (14-43) from that point on. Clemson was consistent, shooting .457 in the first and .455 in the second half.
Clemson scored 21 points off 17 Georgia Tech turnovers. It was the sixth time Clemson has scored 20-plus off opponent turnovers, and Clemson is 6-0 in those games.
Nine players scored a field goal for the Tigers on Tuesday. That is the second time in the last three games that has occurred for Clemson. The Tigers’ season-high is 10 players with at least one field goal, in a winning effort last December against Florida A&M.
Devin Booker had four assists in the game, with all four coming in the first half, setting a new career-high. His previous best was three, which he accomplished five times in his career, most recently on Mar. 1, 2012 against Virginia Tech.
Booker scored eight points in Tuesday’s game and now needs just five to become the 36th member of the 1,000-point club at Clemson.
K.J. McDaniels finished with 15 points, his third straight game in double figures. For the season, he’s hit double figures 12 times. McDaniels also added five rebounds, four on the offensive end. He went 1-for-5 from behind the arc, and 4-of-6 inside of it, and made 4-of-6 free throws, two of which helped preserve the victory.
McDaniels also had a block and a steal in the same game, which he has accomplished in 12 of the last 16 games. McDaniels leads Clemson in both categories on the season (41 blocks, 26 steals).
Bernard Sullivan hit a three-pointer at the 13:30 mark of the first half. It was the first three-point make of his career on his fifth career attempt. Sullivan scored seven points in the game, matching a career-high that he set against Virginia Tech last season on Feb. 4, 2012.
Damarcus Harrison recorded four steals, setting a new career-high. His previous best was three, which he set earlier this season against South Carolina State. Harrison tied a career high with 34 minutes played in the game, which he’s done in two straight contests.
Rod Hall ended a season-long dunk drought with an emphatic slam on the fast break pass from Harrison with 16:55 to play in the second half.
Milton Jennings had a game-high nine rebounds and has now had five or more boards in all eight of Clemson’s ACC games, averaging 8.0 per game during that stretch.