CLEMSON -- Clemson students packed inside the confines of Littlejohn Coliseum Tuesday night to escape the cold. Double overtime against Georgia Tech (9-8, 2-4) was more than enough to keep the seats warm.
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Naithan George's 20 points led the charge of a hot Yellow Jackets team, putting consecutive wins for Clemson on ice, 93-90.
The Tigers (13-5, 2-4), who held a five-point lead with 13 seconds left in regulation, had won three straight from Tech, also taking 17 of the last 18 meetings in Littlejohn. But George drilled two three-pointers to close regulation and send the game into its first overtime.
With four seconds left to play in the second overtime, Kyle Sturdivant converted both free throws to extend the Yellow Jackets' lead to three. Clemson attempted to send the game to triple overtime, but a PJ Hall miss from deep sealed the win for Georgia Tech.
On a night when Clemson dominated from the inside, the Yellow Jackets did precisely the opposite.
Georgia Tech stayed hot from outside all night, attempting 35 shots from beyond the arc, connecting on 15.
As Georgia Tech continued to be effective outside, the Tigers struggled to find consistency. Clemson finished just 3-21 from three-point range.
Despite the loss, Hall turned in a career night for the Tigers, in both points (31) and rebounds (17).
Hall found his success almost exclusively from inside, converting 10 of his 11 shots from inside. He also added a three-pointer, going 1-4 from deep.
It wasn't just Hall who had a strong night, as Ian Schieffelin also put on a career evening of his own, tying his career high with 20 points, adding 15 rebounds and four assists.
As Schiefflein and Hall dominated the glass, the Tigers outrebounded the Yellow Jackets 45-33.
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While the Yellow Jackets controlled the story from outside, the Tigers found a way to stay in the game through a considerable advantage inside the paint, outscoring GT 50-26 while adding four blocks.
Jack Clark, who last saw action against Alabama on November 28th, logged his first minutes back from injury. Clark played ten minutes, forcing a turnover in the first overtime period that extended the game to 2OT. He finished with zero points, going 0-3 on the night with two rebounds.
Chase Hunter added 18 points on 5-of-14 shooting. Joe Girard was just 2-of-9 from the floor, scoring 11 points.
With the loss, Clemson now moves to 2-4 in ACC play. After starting the season 11-1, the Tigers have dropped four of their last five games.
Clemson will travel to Florida State on Saturday, January 20th. The game will tip off at 4:00 p.m. ET and will air on the ACC Network.
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