Post-Game Notes on Clemson’s 97-93 Win Over Maryland

Feb. 23, 2005

Clemson vs. Maryland Notes Clemson 97, Maryland 93 Feb. 22, 2005 at Comcast Center, College Park, MD

Clemson defeated Maryland in College Park on Tuesday night by a97-93 score. Combined with Clemson’s 88-73 win at Clemson on Feb.1, it gave the Tigers their first sweep over the Terps since the1996-97 season. Clemson also won by four points at Maryland (67-63)that year. Clemson had not won at Maryland since that 1996-97 gameand had lost seven in a row. This was Clemson’s first sweep of anyACC team since the Tigers won two regular season games fromVirginia in 2002-03. Clemson scored 97 points in the victory atMaryland, the most points in a regulation ACC road game in Clemsonhistory. Clemson did score 102 in a 102-88 overtime road win atVirginia during he 1966-67 season. The previous best in an ACC roadgame in regulation was 96 at Duke in 1982-83, a game Clemson lost99-96. Clemson defeated the Terps 97-93. The last time Clemson wona game by that score was on Feb. 28, 1990 when Clemson defeated afifth ranked Duke team by that score at Littlejohn Coliseum. Thatis one of the most important wins in Clemson history as the Tigersclinched at least a tie for the regular season title that night.The following Sunday, Clemson won the league outright when NorthCarolina beat Duke. Clemson shot 32-55 from the field at Marylandfor 58.2 percent. It was Clemson’s best field goal percentage inany game since the Tigers shot .594 against Hampton in the seasonopener this year. It was Clemson’s best field goal percentage in anACC game since the Tigers shot .612 against NC State in a 80-79loss in 2001-02, and the best field goal percentage in an ACC roadgame since the Tigers shot 33-53 at Maryland (.623) in an 80-79Clemson win on Feb. 4, 1987. Clemson had 13 blocked shots in thevictory, the most by a Clemson team since the Tigers had a record16 blocks in a victory over Radford at Clemson in 1989-90. ThatRadford team was coached by current Clemson head coach OliverPurnell. The 13 team blocked shots were the most ever in a roadgame, breaking the record of 12 at American University of PuertoRico in 1989-90. Clemson made 8-12 three-point goals in the gamefor a .667 percentage. That tied for the sixth best three-pointshooting game in Clemson history (min of 10 attempts) and was tiedfor second best in an ACC road game. It was the best three-pointshooting performance in an ACC road game since the Tigers made10-15 for .667 at Duke in 1994-95. That was the last time Clemsonwon at Duke. The victory gave Clemson two ACC road games thisseason. This is the first time since 1997-98 that Clemson has wontwo ACC road games in the same year. The victory gave Clemson 13wins for the season, up from 10 wins last year. This is the firsttime since the 1996-97 season that Clemson has made at least athree-win improvement from the previous year. Sharrod Ford had nineblocks in the game, the most blocks in a game for a Clemson playersince Sharone Wright had 10 against Maryland on Jan. 26, 1993.Ford’s nine blocks established a Clemson record for a road game.The previous best was eight by Tree Rollins at Furman on January23, 1974, Rollins’s freshman season. Ford had 24 points, one offhis career high, 10 rebounds and nine blocks, obviously just oneblock from a triple-double. He was just one block away frombecoming the third Clemson player in history to record one. TreeRollins and Sharone Wright had two apiece. As it was, Ford had his20th career double-double, his eighth this season. He is now tiedfor ninth in Clemson history in that category with Larry Nance.Ford was 9-13 from the field for the game, including 7-8 in thesecond half. This season he now has 49 points against Maryland on19-28 shooting from the field. Clemson’s freshman class of CliffHammonds, Sam Perry, James Mays and Cheyenne Moore combined for 32points on 12-22 overall shooting, including 4-6 three-pointshooting in the win at Maryland. They had just three turnovers in72 combined minutes of play. Mays and Perry combined to scoreClemson’s first eight points of the game. Hammonds had 32 minuteswithout a turnover, the most minutes without a turnover for aClemson player this year. In two games against Maryland this yearClemson trailed for a total of 11 seconds. The Terps held a 23-22lead for that period of time in the first meeting in Littlejohn.Clemson never trailed in Tuesday night’s win in College Park.Clemson now has two ACC road wins by four points or less thisseason. This is the first time Clemson has done that since 1996-97when Clemson won at Maryland by four and at Georgia Tech by two.Since losing 13 straight games to Maryland the Tigers have now wontwo in a row. Oliver Purnell is now 3-2 in his career againstMaryland. He was an assistant coach for the Terps between 1985-88.