Field Level Media
Jan 28, 2018
Gabe DeVoe scored 25 points, and Marcquise Reed hit a go-ahead layup with 28 seconds left to lift No. 18 Clemson past Georgia Tech 72-70 Sunday in ACC play at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, Ga.
DeVoe hit 10 of 15 shots, including five 3-pointers, and Shelton Mitchell scored 17 points for the Tigers (17-4, 6-3 ACC), who bounced back from a blowout loss to No. 2 Virginia with a hard-fought conference road win.
Reed finished with 13 points and 11 assists and made multiple big plays down the stretch, as the Tigers beat Georgia Tech for the second straight time, despite a big game from the Yellow Jackets' Josh Okogie.
Okogie scored 26 points and fueled a late flurry to get the Yellow Jackets (10-11, 3-5 AAC) back in the game. Ten of Okogie's game-high 26 points came in the final 2:33.
After trailing by two at intermission, Clemson grabbed the lead early in the second half on a three-point play from Elijah Thomas. The Tigers never trailed again, but couldn't put away the Yellow Jackets until the final minute.
Reed hit a layup that put Clemson ahead 68-60 with four minutes left. Okogie led Georgia Tech back, scoring 10 straight points, including a pair of free throws that tied the score, 70-70, with 42 seconds to play.
Reed hit another layup on the Tigers' next possession, and Okogie misfired on Georgia Tech's final attempt to end the Yellow Jackets' comeback hopes.
Abdoulaye Gueye had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Ben Lammers added 10 points and nine boards for the Yellow Jackets, who lost their fourth straight game.
Clemson now sits in a tie for third place in the ACC with Duke, a half-game behind second-place Louisville. The Tigers return home to host No. 10 North Carolina on Tuesday.
Georgia Tech will try to bounce back at home against Syracuse on Wednesday.
--Field Level Media