Clemson 63, Georgia Tech 55: K.J. McDaniels scored 16 points and Damarcus Harrison hit two critical 3-pointers late in the second half as the visiting Tigers beat the Yellow Jackets for the ninth consecutive time.
Harrison finished 3-for-4 from 3-point range in scoring 15 points as Clemson (17-9, 8-6 ACC) rallied from a nine-point deficit early in the second half. McDaniels, who scored 10 points after halftime, added four steals.
Trae Golden scored 17 points on 6-for-12 shooting in his first sustained action in five games for Georgia Tech (13-14, 4-10). Daniel Miller scored 14 points with eight rebounds, but the Yellow Jackets committed 15 turnovers and went more than seven minutes down the stretch without a field goal.
Goldenâ??s 3-pointer with 7:46 to play pushed Georgia Tech ahead 46-44, but Harrison pushed Clemson back in front on a 3-pointer with 6:07 remaining and gave the Tigers the lead for keeps at 51-48 on a 3-pointer with 4:45 to play. Two free throws from McDaniels and Harrisonâ??s steal and layup opened up a 55-48 Clemson advantage with 2:06 left.
The Yellow Jackets used an 8-0 run to build a 16-10 advantage on Goldenâ??s 3-pointer midway through the first half, and extended a six-point halftime lead to 34-25 on Marcus Georges-Huntâ??s 3-pointer early in the second half. The Tigers clawed back behind a 15-6 run, with McDaniels scoring eight points during the surge and his layup tying the contest at 40 with 11:44 remaining.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Harrison was the only Clemson player to make a 3-pointer as the Tigers shot 3-for-16 from long range. â? Golden, Georgia Techâ??s leading scorer at 13 points, had scored just two points in his past two games and missed two other games completely with a groin injury. â? The Tigers, who averaged 4.7 steals per game coming in, finished with eight (one off their season high).
