Atlanta, GA — No. 18 Clemson rediscovered its shooting touch Saturday and used a strong second half from beyond the arc to pull away from Georgia Tech for a 77–63 road win, bouncing back from its first ACC loss of the season.
Jake Wahlin and Nick Davidson led the Tigers with 13 points each, while Clemson’s perimeter shooting proved to be the difference after halftime. After struggling from deep in the opening half, the Tigers caught fire over the final 20 minutes, connecting on seven of their 12 three-point attempts. Jestin Porter punctuated the performance with a step-back three in the final minute to put the game out of reach.
Wahlin was especially effective after the break, knocking down all three of his three-point attempts in the second half after missing all three before intermission. He also paced Clemson on the glass with eight rebounds and added a highlight-reel dunk once Georgia Tech’s defense was forced to stretch.
Clemson (17–4, 7–1 ACC) showed its balance throughout the night, placing four players in double figures. Ace Buckner and Dillon Hunter each finished with 12 points, with Hunter’s contested three just before halftime giving the Tigers a 35–33 lead at the break.
The game swung back and forth early. Clemson appeared poised to take control midway through the first half with a 12–0 run that opened a seven-point advantage. Georgia Tech responded behind Chas Kelly, whose three-pointer briefly gave the Yellow Jackets a 33–32 edge before Clemson closed the half strong.
Georgia Tech (11–9, 2–5 ACC) made one last push late in the game after trailing by as many as 16 points. Kam Craft’s three-pointer cut the deficit to 71–63 with just over two minutes remaining, but the Yellow Jackets were unable to generate another scoring run.
Kowacie Reeves Jr. led Georgia Tech with 19 points, though offensive support was limited. No other Yellow Jacket reached double figures, and the team shot just 37 percent from the field.
The win was a timely response for Clemson following an overtime loss to NC State earlier in the week and should keep the Tigers firmly in the Associated Press Top 25.
Up Next: Clemson will have a week off before returning home to host Pittsburgh next Saturday. Georgia Tech hits the road to face Virginia Tech on Tuesday night.
