Clemson vs. Mississippi Postgame Notes

by Press Release - Mon Mar 19 22:55:12 GMT-04:00 2007

Clemson vs. Mississippi Notes

Littlejohn Coliseum

March 19, 2007

*Clemson's 21-point victory (89-68) was the largest margin of victory for the Tigers in a postseason game (NIT or NCAA) in history. The previous high was +20 in wins over Georgia (77-57 on 3-10-99) and Butler (89-69 on 3-18-99) in the NIT.

*Clemson's 89 points tonight were the most by the Tigers since scoring 103 in a 103 win over Western Carolina on December 23, 2006.

The 21-point victory margin was the most for the Tigers since the 103-60 win over Western Carolina.

*Clemson scored 46 points in the first half, Clemson's high total in the first half since the Tigers scored 48 in the first half against Wofford on December 5.

*Trevor Booker scored a career high 21 points in tonight's game. His previous high was 19 against Wofford on December 5, 2006.

*Trevor Booker has now scored in double figures in eight of the last nine games and he scored nine in the game he missed. Booker has scored 13.3 points per game over the nine games. Booker is now back over 60 percent from the field for the year at 60.1 (146-243).

*Cliff Hammonds scored 18 points in the first half of this evening's game, the high total by a Clemson player in a half this year. The previous high was 16 by K.C. Rivers in the first half at Maryland back in January.

*All five Clemson starters scored in double figures this evening, the first time that has happened all year. It was not the first time Clemson had five double figure scorers in a game, just the first time all five starters had done it.

*Sam Perry was Clemson's top player off the bench with seven points and five rebounds. It was Perry's high point total since he scored nine in a win over Boston College at Clemson on January 20.

*Clemson forced 24 Mississippi turnovers. It was the most turnovers committed by the Rebels all year. Their previous high in a game was

21 in a loss to Memphis in December. It was the most turnovers

Clemson has forced since Georgia had 26 against the Tigers on December 28 at Clemson.

*Clemson now has 23 wins, the most by a Clemson team since the Tigers won 23 in 1996-97. Another win would give the Tigers 24, the most since the 1989-90 team won 24. The Clemson record for a season is 25 by the 1986-87 season.

*Clemson is now 4-0 against the SEC this season. Clemson had 44 steals in four games against SEC teams this year.

*Clemson is 7-11 from the field inside the last five minutes of the two NIT games combined.

*Clemson's next game is against Syracuse on Wednesday. The Tigers are 1-0 lifetime against Syracuse, a 78-67 win in Kent, OH to open the 1960-61 season. However the Orangemen are 0-2 in Littlejohn Coliseum. Syracuse was 0-2 in the 1975 (1975-76 season) IPTAY Tournament at Clemson, but never played against Clemson. They lost to Austin Peay in the first round and Harvard in the consolation round. That was the year before Jim Boeheim came to Syracuse.

*Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim will succeed Clemson head coach Oliver Purnell as President of the NABC this spring. They will face each other on Wednesday night.

*This is the fourth time Clemson has reached the Elite Eight of the NIT. Clemson also reached the Final Eight in 1986, 1994 and 1999.

The only time Clemson has advanced to Final Four is 1999 when Clemson reached the finals before losing to California by a point, 61-60.

*Clemson is now 16-0 this year against non-conference teams. Clemson and Oregon (14-0) are the only undefeated teams in the nation in non-conference games.

*With tonight's win, Clemson has tied the school record for non-conference wins in a season. The 1985-86 Clemson team that advanced to the Elite Eight of the NIT, had a 16-3 record in non-conference games.