Clemson defeats Georgia Tech in Blowout

Clemson defeats Georgia Tech in Blowout

ATLANTA — The shooting struggles continued for the Yellow Jackets, as the team lost 65-42 against Clemson Wednesday night at McCamish Pavilion.Georgia Tech only shot 30 percent from the field by going 13-for-43 and went only 4-for-12 from the 3-point line. With this defeat, the Yellow Jackets have now dropped four games in a row, and they have also lost their six out of their last seven.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have the answers for why we’re struggling offensively which is a frustrating thing…we just can’t keep scoring in the ’40s, and we have tried everything,” Georgia Tech Head Coach John Pastner said. “We shoot as much as we possibly can in practice, we bring them back at night to shoot, they’re getting great looks, the shots just aren’t going in.

We have to figure it out; we don’t have time to feel sorry for ourselves, we tried to play fast, or small, we just have to get out of the shooting and scoring slump.”

For the Yellow Jackets (11-12, 3-7 ACC), James Banks III was the highest point scorer, with 13 and Brandon Alston followed with 11 points of his own. At the beginning of the game, both teams traded baskets, but after a successful free throw by Georgia Tech’s James Banks III at the 17: 15-minute mark, the Tigers went on a 9-0 run in the next 6:44 minutes, which gave them a 14-6 lead.

A layup by Banks at the 9:48 minute marked the end of the scoring drought by the Yellow Jackets, and the team trailed 14-8. With just over six minutes left in the first half, Clemson (14-8, 4-5 ACC) went on another scoring run, this time, led by five points from David Skara and one from Elijah Thomas. At the time, the Tigers held a 29-12 lead.

But just seconds later, four successful free throws by Banks and a 3-pointer by Michael Devoe helped Georgia Tech cut its deficit to a 29-19 score. Georgia Tech’s Brandon Alston scored five points in the last two minutes of the first half, which the Yellow Jackets cut its deficit to nine points, 33-24.

Meanwhile, in the second half, the Yellow Jackets continued their offensive struggles, as the team went 7-for-25 from the field and was held to only 18 points. Clemson’s Marcquise Reed was the highest scorer in the game with 19 points, and Aamir Sims and David Skara each finished with 13 points.

Next, Georgia Tech will travel to South Bend to take on the Fighting Irish on Sunday, February 10. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

“We have Thursday off, and we’ll resume practice on Friday,” Pastner said. “I have told the guys that if they’re open, to shoot the ball. I feel confident on the defensive side of the ball, but we just have to figure out a way to score.”