NCAA BASKETBALL – TUESDAY, JANUARY 19 2010
#17 Clemson Tigers (15-3) vs. #19 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (13-4)
The No. 17 Clemson Tigers will prepare to tip off against the No. 19 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Tuesday at Alexander Memorial Coliseum in Atlanta, GA.
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The Yellow Jackets knocked off Clemson 86-81 the last time the two teams met back on Mar 12, 2009.
However, the Tigers are much-improved team and are coming off their third win in a row after beating N.C. State 73-70 on Saturday. Senior forward and Tigers leading scorer Trevor Booker scored 20 points in the win. Tanner Smith added 11 points, including two late free throws, as the Tigers nearly blew a 21-point lead before making two defensive stops in the final minute to preserve the win. Although they are wining games, Clemson has had its share of problems hanging onto leads in the second half. Once in December when the Tigers blew a 23-point lead in a loss to Illinois and then again earlier last week against North Carolina before going on to win by 19. Something that will need to be corrected, as it could prove costly down the stretch. The Tigers have won their last three games after opening conference play with a loss at Duke and have nine wins in their last 10 games.
The Yellow Jackets have blown their share of healthy leads as well and recently surrendered a 16-point lead with about 12 minutes to play in a 73-71 win over UNC on Saturday. Zachery Peacock made the game-winning bucket with 25.7 seconds left. Sophomore guard Iman Shumpert’s knee seems to be 100 percent as he finished with a career-high 30 points in the win. Tech snapped a 12-game losing streak in Chapel Hill and won its first ACC road game in two years. Shumpert also added six assists and three steals in 36 minutes of action.
The odds makers have the Tigers +3.5-point underdogs in this one.
Georgia Tech has reached 2-2 in conference play in the most unorthodox way by beating Duke and North Carolina while losing to Florida State and Virginia. The question is which Tech team will show up the rest on Tuesday night.
Expect this game to go down to the wire with Georgia Tech hitting a pivotal 3-pointer to win this one at home.
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