Clemson Seniors Go Out in Style

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CLEMSON - What a great way to celebrate Senior Day at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Seniors Shawan Robinson and Akin Akingbala scored 22 points each, while Vernon Hamilton tossed in a game-high 24, leading Clemson to a 95-82 victory over Georgia Tech Saturday afternoon at Littlejohn Coliseum.

The win was Clemson's (18-11, 7-9 ACC) third straight, and represents the most regular season victories for the school since the 1996-97 campaign.

Inside the final minute, Robinson and Akinbala - along with fellow senior Steve Allen who had just been inserted into the game and gotten his own personal highlight with an emphatic, two-handed slam dunk - were removed from the game one by one and each greeted with an ovation in the stands and hugs on the sidelines.

If it was indeed their final home game - postseason future and possible NIT hosting yet to be determined - the trio went out in style; their most important accomplishment seemingly the laying of the foundation of Purnell's rebuilding effort at Clemson.

Clemson trailed 37-34 at the half, and found itself down 46-40 with 17:09 to go after a pair of thunderous dunks by Tech's (11-16, 4-12) Mario West.

But then the onslaught began.

A pair of 3-pointers by Robinson and a short jumper by Hamilton keyed an 8-2 spurt that tied things at 48-48. Robinson then hit two more from long distance, sandwiched around a pair of free throws by K.C. Rivers, to ignite a second 8-2 run and put the Tigers ahead 56-50.

The lead expanded to eight, 66-58, with 9:34 left on a basket by Akingbala, but the Yellow Jackets wouldn't go away. Two 3-pointers by Lewis Clinch and another from Zam Fredrick were the bulk of an 11-4 Georgia Tech run which cut Clemson's lead to 70-69.

But the Tigers pressure defense proved to be too much.

Clemson began to pull away thanks to the extra scoring opportunities, one of which was Robinson's fifth 3-pointer of the half which gave the Tigers a 78-71 lead at 4:53.

The Yellow Jackets would get no closer than six points the rest of the way, while Clemson's lead swelled to as many as 17 in the final moments.

Clemson forced 19 turnovers, 14 of which were steals. Four of those came courtesy of Hamilton, which makes him the school's career leader in that category with 196.

The Tigers turned those 19 turnovers into 27 points.

Cliff Hammonds also reached double digits for Clemson, finishing with 10 points.

Clinch had 22 for Tech, while Fredrick finished with 17.

VISITORS: Georgia Tech 11-16,4-12


                      TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS


## Player Name        FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN


23 Anthony Morrow.. f  5-9    4-5    2-2    4  5  9   5  16  0  0  0  0  33


32 Jeremis Smith... f  0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   5   0  2  3  0  0  13


04 Ra'Sean Dickey.. c  6-12   0-1    4-4    5  9 14   3  16  1  4  0  2  36


05 Mario West...... g  2-2    0-0    0-0    1  1  2   1   4  3  2  0  2  17


33 Lewis Clinch.... g  8-13   2-3    4-7    1  0  1   3  22  2  4  0  0  29


01 D'Andre Bell....    0-1    0-0    0-0    0  3  3   4   0  1  2  0  2  19


35 Zam Fredrick....    6-16   1-4    4-6    0  1  1   1  17  3  2  0  0  29


41 Alade Aminu.....    3-4    0-0    1-2    0  1  1   2   7  0  1  2  0  21


44 Theodis Tarver..    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  0  1  0  0   3


   TEAM............                         1  3  4


   Totals..........   30-57   7-13  15-21  12 23 35  25  82 12 19  2  6 200


TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 15-32 46.9%   2nd Half: 15-25 60.0%   Game: 52.6%  DEADB


3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  3-4  75.0%   2nd Half:  4-9  44.4%   Game: 53.8%   REBS


F Throw % 1st Half:  4-6  66.7%   2nd Half: 11-15 73.3%   Game: 71.4%    4


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HOME TEAM: Clemson 18-11,7-9


                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS


## Player Name        FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN


01 K.C. Rivers..... f  0-3    0-2    2-2    2  1  3   3   2  2  1  0  2  19


33 Akin Akingbala.. f 10-14   0-0    2-8    5  6 11   3  22  2  3  0  1  33


04 Steve Allen..... c  1-1    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   4   2  0  1  0  0   8


22 Shawan Robinson. g  7-15   5-9    3-4    0  1  1   3  22  4  2  0  2  33


25 Cliff Hammonds.. g  3-6    1-3    3-4    1  4  5   1  10  5  1  0  3  34


03 Vernon Hamilton.    8-11   1-3    7-9    2  2  4   0  24  3  1  0  4  27


12 Raymond Sykes...    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  0  0  0  0   2


32 Sam Perry.......    3-6    0-0    1-2    1  2  3   2   7  1  0  0  1  24


42 Julius Powell...    2-6    1-3    1-2    1  0  1   2   6  0  1  0  1  20


   TEAM............                            1  1


   Totals..........   34-62   8-20  19-31  12 17 29  19  95 17 10  0 14 200


TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 13-30 43.3%   2nd Half: 21-32 65.6%   Game: 54.8%  DEADB


3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  2-8  25.0%   2nd Half:  6-12 50.0%   Game: 40.0%   REBS


F Throw % 1st Half:  6-11 54.5%   2nd Half: 13-20 65.0%   Game: 61.3%    5


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Officials: Larry Rose, Bernard Clinton, Mike Wood


Technical fouls: Georgia Tech-None. Clemson-None.


Attendance: 8200


Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total


Georgia Tech..................   37   45  -   82


Clemson.......................   34   61  -   95


ID-373833


Points in the paint-GT 34,CU 48. Points off turnovers-GT 15,CU 27.


2nd chance points-GT 15,CU 19. Fast break points-GT 4,CU 14.


Bench points-GT 24,CU 37. Score tied-8 times. Lead changed-11 times.


Last FG-GT 2nd-00:27, CU 2nd-00:56.


Largest lead-GT by 6 1st-17:47, CU by 17 2nd-01:11.

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