Virginia Tech knocks Tigers out of ACC Tournament

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ATLANTA – It’s a script Clemson fans have seen far too many times.

Missed free throws, a plethora of personal fouls and a blown lead were the order of the day yet again as the 7th-seeded Tigers blew a five-point halftime lead and lost to 10th-seeded Virginia Tech 68-63 in the first round of the ACC Tournament at Philips Arena in Atlanta.

With an RPI at 140 entering the contest, Clemson’s hopes for a postseason are likely over [unless the university decides to pay for a CBI berth], and they ended on a familiar note as the Tigers shot just 7-of-13 from the free throw line in the second while the Hokies hit 17-of-20 shots from the charity stripe in the second half. The Tigers were called for just one personal foul in the first half, but were called for 12 in the second half.

It was the 43rd time in 59 years that Clemson has lost in the first round of the ACC Tournament.

Freshman Devin ColemanDevin Coleman
Fr. Guard
#15 6-2, 200
Philadelphia, PA
View Full Profile led the Tigers (16-15, 8-8 ACC) with 15 points, while Andre YoungAndre Young
Sr. Guard
#11 5-9, 175
Albany, GA
View Full Profile and Milton JenningsMilton Jennings
Jr. Forward
#24 6-9, 225
Summerville, SC
View Full Profile hit 13 apiece and Tanner SmithTanner Smith
Sr. Guard
#5 6-5, 210
Alpharetta, GA
View Full Profile added 12. Devin BookerDevin Booker
Jr. Forward
#31 6-8, 245
Whitmire, SC
View Full Profile added seven points and eight rebounds. The Hokies (16-16, 4-12) were led by Erick Green’s 24 points.

“I thought we played reasonably well at times in the first half, had a little lull, bounced back, but started poorly in the second half,” Clemson head coach Brad BrownellBrad Brownell
Head Coach
View Full Profile said. “We got a little anxious offensively, and took a few quick shots and just didn’t settle into a good offensive rhythm. Credit Virginia Tech – I thought they made enough free throws and plays down the stretch.”

The Tigers led by five at the half, and were still tied with the Hokies at 52 apiece following a Milton Jennings dunk with 5:48 remaining in the half. It was then that the wheels fell off.

The Hokies turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, but Jennings missed a short jumper on the other end and Tech made the Tigers pay, with Dorenzo Hudson and Erick Green each hitting 3-pointers as the Hokies jumped out to a 58-52 lead.

On Clemson’s ensuing possession, Booker was called for a flagrant offensive foul [hitting an opponent above the shoulders with an elbow], and Cadarian Raines hit one of two free throws. That was followed with a layup by Dorian Finney-Smith, and Tech had a 61-52 lead with 2:21 remaining in the game.

Booker said he wasn’t sure why he got the flagrant foul call.

“I don’t know what happened on that call,” Booker said after the game. “I posted up like I always do. I’ve had fouls called on me for being too aggressive before, but that wasn’t one of them.”

Clemson made just 3-of-7 free throws over the next two minutes, but still were in the game after Milton Jennings hit a 3-pointer that made it 66-63 with 17 seconds remaining. The Tigers were unable to muster any offense after that, however, and Tech hit two final free throws to cement the victory.

In all, the Tigers hit just three field goals over nearly the final 13 minutes of the game.

Coleman, however, was one of the highlights, and he said he wasn’t too nervous heading into his first ACC Tournament game.

“I tried not to think about it too much,” Coleman said. “I tried to go out there and execute the game plan and play good basketball. I didn’t really pay much attention to the stage. I just wanted to go out there and play hard and make plays to win the game.”

Brownell said he didn’t know if the Tigers would accept any other postseason invitation.

“I haven’t thought a lot about that yet,” he said. “We have to go back and digest some things. I am going to go back and talk to our staff. We have squeezed a lot of water out of a turnip this year. This is really disheartening. I thought we would come here and do a little bit better, but we didn’t get it done.”

VISITORS: #10 Virginia Tech 16-16


                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS


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


04 Raines,Cadarian..... f  4-6    0-0    1-2    2  2  4   2   9  0  0  1  0  30


15 Finney-Smith,Dorian. f  3-10   0-3    2-4    4  4  8   1   8  3  0  0  3  36


31 Eddie,Jarell........ f  1-7    1-4    2-2    0  1  1   1   5  0  1  0  1  25


05 Hudson,Dorenzo...... g  6-12   3-7    4-4    2  2  4   4  19  1  2  0  0  34


11 Green,Erick......... g  7-11   2-4    8-8    0  4  4   1  24  4  1  0  1  34


01 Brown,Robert........    1-6    1-5    0-0    0  4  4   2   3  4  3  0  0  30


42 Barksdale,CJ........    0-1    0-0    0-0    2  1  3   2   0  0  1  0  0  11


   TEAM................                         1  2  3             3


   Totals..............   22-53   7-23  17-20  11 20 31  13  68 12 11  1  5 200


TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 13-30 43.3%   2nd Half:  9-23 39.1%   Game: 41.5%  DEADB


3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  4-13 30.8%   2nd Half:  3-10 30.0%   Game: 30.4%   REBS


F Throw % 1st Half:  0-0   0.0%   2nd Half: 17-20 85.0%   Game: 85.0%   3,1





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HOME TEAM: #7 Clemson 16-15


                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS


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


21 Narcisse, Bryan..... f  0-0    0-0    1-2    1  1  2   1   1  1  0  0  0  13


24 Jennings, Milton.... f  5-12   3-5    0-0    2  2  4   2  13  2  3  2  0  35


31 Booker, Devin....... f  2-4    0-1    3-6    1  7  8   4   7  0  4  0  0  33


05 Smith, Tanner....... g  5-12   1-5    1-3    4  2  6   1  12  6  1  0  1  35


11 Young, Andre........ g  4-10   3-6    2-2    1  2  3   2  13  2  1  0  0  39


04 Hall, Rod...........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   0   0  0  0  0  0   4


10 Baciu, Catalin......    1-1    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   2  0  0  0  0   6


15 Coleman, Devin......    6-10   1-4    2-2    0  3  3   1  15  1  1  0  1  26


22 Sullivan, Bernard...    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   2


32 McDaniels, K.J......    0-1    0-1    0-0    0  0  0   2   0  0  1  0  0   7


   TEAM................                            2  2             1


   Totals..............   23-50   8-22   9-15   9 20 29  13  63 12 12  2  2 200


TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-26 53.8%   2nd Half:  9-24 37.5%   Game: 46.0%  DEADB


3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  5-9  55.6%   2nd Half:  3-13 23.1%   Game: 36.4%   REBS


F Throw % 1st Half:  2-2  100 %   2nd Half:  7-13 53.8%   Game: 60.0%    3





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Officials: Roger Ayers, Bryan Kersey, Sean Corbin


Technical fouls: #10 Virginia Tech-None. #7 Clemson-None.


Attendance:


Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total


#10 Virginia Tech.............   30   38  -   68


#7 Clemson....................   35   28  -   63


2012 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament - Game 3


Points in the paint-VT 24,CU 30. Points off turnovers-VT 13,CU 17.


2nd chance points-VT 14,CU 7. Fast break points-VT 12,CU 10.


Bench points-VT 3,CU 17. Score tied-10 times. Lead changed-11 times.


Last FG-VT 2nd-01:34, CU 2nd-00:17.


Largest lead-VT by 9 2nd-02:23, CU by 6 1st-17:02.

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