Tigers to Host Elon Friday Night at 7:30 PM

Dec. 29, 2005

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Clemson saw its 11-game winning streak to open the season endwith a 72-69 loss at Georgia on December 28. Clemson was one of 12undefeated Division I teams remaining when that game tipped off. Itwas Clemson’s longest winning streak at any time since 1995-96,when Clemson also started 11- 0. Clemson’s current 11-1 record isthe best start by a Tiger team through 12 games since 1996-97 whenClemson was 16-1 to open the year. This is just the second meetingbetween Clemson and Elon. The Tigers won the only previous meetingby just 10 points, 88-78 on December 15, 2001 at LittlejohnColiseum. Elon Head Coach Ernie Nestor will not be making his firsttrip to Clemson. Nestor has been to Clemson many times as anassistant under Dave Odom at Wake Forest and South Carolina. Bothteams use a lot of players. The above starters for Elon are basedon their lineup for their most recent game at Buffalo on December21. Ten different players have been in the starting lineup for Elonover the first 11 games of the season. Clemson will be without theservices of 6-9 power forward James Mays for the rest of theseason. The sophomore was declared academically ineligible for thesecond semester prior to the Georgia game on December 28. He wasClemson’s top rebounder with a 7.6 average through the first 11games of the season, all Clemson victories. This will be Clemson’sfinal regular season nonconference games of the season. A victoryover Elon would give Clemson a 12-1 record in non-conference play.That would be the most non-conference wins in a regular season forthe Tigers since the 1996-97 season when Clemson was 12-0 innonconference games. From a calendar standpoint, a victory overElon on Friday would give Clemson 12 wins in November and Decembercombined, a school record for wins in the first two months of theseason. Clemson was also 12-1 for November and December combined in1985-86. Clemson won the San Juan Shootout with three victories inthree days December 19-21. It marked the first time since 1980 thatClemson won three games in three days. That Clemson team startedoff 12-1. A win on Friday would give this Clemson team the same12-1 start. K.C. Rivers moved into the starting lineup for Maysagainst Georgia and led the Tigers in scoring with 14 points, hisseason high. Clemson was ranked 30th in the nationa by Sagarin and52nd by collegerpi.com entering games of December 29.