Clemson @ Georgia Tech preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 6, 2019 ) Clemson 65, Georgia Tech 42

Clemson is surging at the right time, winning three straight games entering Tuesday’s visit to Georgia Tech, and hot shooting has fueled the Tigers' recent success. Clemson set a program record for best shooting performance in an ACC road game in Saturday’s 82-64 victory at Boston College, hitting 68.9 percent of its shots from the field, and during their winning streak the Tigers are shooting 56.5 percent overall and 50 percent from 3-point range.

While coach Brad Brownell joked after Saturday’s victory that “everything’s better when you shoot it like that,” sophomore guard John Newman III pointed to growth as the reason why Clemson is finding its way with four games left in the regular season. “I think we’re just becoming more mature as a team,” Newman told reporters postgame. “We’re learning together, growing together.” Growth has come in fits and starts for the Yellow Jackets, who had won two in a row before an 11-point halftime lead evaporated in Saturday’s 79-72 road loss at Syracuse, spoiling a career-high 33 points from junior forward Moses Wright. “It really is frustrating, being up (11) at half and then losing like this the way we did,” Wright told the media after shooting 14-for-17 from the field.

TIME: 9 p.m. ET. TV: ACC Network

ABOUT CLEMSON (14-12, 8-8 ACC): Freshman guard Al-Amir Dawes led the way against Boston College, scoring 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field and 6-for-10 from 3-point range. Leading scorer and rebounder Aamir Simms (13.3 points; 7.2 rebounds) recorded a double-double Saturday with 12 points and 11 rebounds, and on the season the junior forward is shooting 40.3 percent from 3-point range. The Tigers are second in the ACC in scoring defense, allowing 63.2 points per game.

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (13-14, 7-9): Wright’s 33 points is tied for third-most by a Yellow Jackets player in an ACC road game, and he ranks second in the ACC in field-goal percentage at 55.3 percent. Sophomore guard Michael Devoe leads Georgia Tech in scoring at 16.1 points and was the only other double-figure scorer Saturday with 11 points. The Yellow Jackets committed 17 turnovers overall and gave up 52 second-half points, as Syracuse shot 64 percent from the field after intermission.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Georgia Tech senior F/C James Banks III has fouled out in four consecutive games, and is averaging 7.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in that span (below his season averages of 9.8 points and 7.2 rebounds).

2. The Tigers have averaged 77 points during their winning streak, after averaging 48.3 points during a three-game losing streak.

3. Clemson has won five straight games in the series by an average margin of 11.4 points.

PREDICTION: Clemson 71, Georgia Tech 65