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Clemson barely survives against Georgia Tech for a Senior Day win
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- Clemson barely survives against Georgia Tech for a Senior Day win
Clemson men's basketball avoided what could have been a damaging loss on Saturday, but it took a late push to finish the job.
The Tigers held off Georgia Tech 79-76 inside Littlejohn Coliseum, improving to 22-9 overall and 12-6 in ACC play. Clemson secured the win with free throws in the final seconds after a tense finish against the Yellow Jackets .
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Ace Buckner delivered the final points of the afternoon. The sophomore calmly knocked down two free throws with three seconds left after Georgia Tech cut the lead to one, sealing the victory and preventing overtime.
Senior Butta Johnson came through in the clutch during the second half. Johnson finished with 15 points, with 13 of those coming after halftime, including a key three-pointer from the corner with 1:38 remaining that pushed Clemson ahead 75-70. That shot helped the Tigers regain control after a back-and-forth final stretch.
Graduate transfer Nick Davidson also scored 15 points before fouling out, while Carter Welling added 13 points. Clemson shot 44.6 percent from the floor.
Georgia Tech received a big performance from Jaeden Mustaf, who led all scorers with 28 points. Kowacie Reeves Jr. added 20 points and Akai Fleming chipped in 18 for the Yellow Jackets, who finished the season on a 12-game losing streak.
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Clemson's afternoon nearly unraveled earlier in the second half.
The Tigers trailed 47-37 after a Mustaf layup before rallying. Welling jumpstarted the comeback with a three-pointer and a tough jumper, trimming the deficit. Johnson followed with a three of his own, and moments later turned a steal into an and-one layup that gave Clemson a 48-47 lead and capped an 11-0 run.
From there, the game remained tight as the teams traded baskets throughout the final minutes.
Clemson appeared to have control late after Dillon Hunter split a pair of free throws to make it 77-74 with 14 seconds left. Welling grabbed the rebound on the missed second attempt but couldn't convert the putback, allowing Georgia Tech one last opportunity.
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Mustaf opted for a quick layup with four seconds remaining instead of attempting a tying three. Buckner was then fouled on the inbound and sank both free throws to extend the lead to three.
Mustaf's desperation half-court attempt at the buzzer missed, allowing Clemson to escape with the win.
The Tigers struggled early, trailing 39-33 at halftime after a rough first half. Clemson went more than five minutes without scoring during a stretch when Georgia Tech put together a 12-0 run.
At one point the Yellow Jackets led 27-18 while shooting nearly 70 percent from the floor.
Mustaf paced Georgia Tech early, scoring 11 first-half points while going a perfect 4-for-4 from the field.
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Clemson struggled offensively during that stretch, shooting just 35 percent in the first half. Davidson was responsible for much of the scoring with 12 points before the break, while the rest of the Tigers combined to shoot 6-of-24.
Despite the slow start, Clemson avoided the upset and finished the regular season with another win.
The victory secured the No. 5 seed for the Tigers in the ACC Tournament. Clemson will face the winner of the 12/13 seed game on Wednesday night in Charlotte, with tipoff scheduled for 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson basketball survives against Georgia Tech, Senior Day victory
