Clemson vs. Maryland Postgame Notes

by Press Release - Sun Jan 31 22:55:35 GMT-04:00 2010

•Clemson shot just 31.9 percent (22-69) from the field tonight, yet won the game. It was the lowest field goal percentage in a Clemson victory since March 16, 1997 when the Tigers shot 31.6 percent in a 65-59 win over Tulsa. That win in 1997 in Kansas City sent Clemson to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

•Clemson held Maryland to 53 points, 34.6 field goal shooting, 26 turnovers and 20 percent on three-point shooting in this game. It was the fewest points, most turnovers and lowest field goal percentage by Maryland this year. Maryland had shot .514 in ACC games on three-point shots entering the game, best in the ACC in league games.

•Trevor Booker had 10 points and 16 rebounds in tonight’s game for his 29th career double-double. He shot just 2-16 from the field, his worst field goal shooting game of his career given a minimum of five attempts. But his 16 rebounds were one off his career high. He had 17 at East Carolina in 2007-08.

•While Booker made just 2-16 shots from the field tonight, he did make a three-point goal with 3:23 left to give Clemson a four point lead at 57-53, one of the biggest shots of the game. It was Booker’s first made three-point goal since December 22, 2009 against Western Carolina. He had missed six in a row prior to that made three-point goal.

•With his 16 rebounds tonight, Trevor Booker now needs just 19 rebounds to become the second player in Clemson history with 1500 points and 1000 rebounds.

•Jerai Grant had a career high 18 points and a career high 12 rebounds in tonight’s Clemson victory. He also had four blocked shots and a steal in his 32 minutes of action. It was just his second career double-double, his first against an ACC team.

•Jerai is the nephew of former Clemson All-American Horace Grant and the son of former Tiger Harvey Grant. Clemson has now won five straight games at Littlejohn Coliseum over Maryland with a Grant in the lineup. Clemson won its last three games vs. Maryland at home from 1984-85 through 1986-87 with Horace Grant in the lineup, and has now won back-to-back home games over the Terps with Jerai in the lineup. In fact, Clemson is now 3-0 vs. Maryland regardless of site when Jerai Grant has played.

*In 1984-85, Clemson beat Maryland 71-64 behind 16 points on 7-11 field goal shooting by Horace Grant. Tonight, Clemson won by nine points over Maryland with Jerai scoring 18 on 7-11 field goal shooting. So nephew and uncle shot the exact same from the field in victories over Maryland 25 years apart.

•Andre Young tied a Clemson record for steals in a game with seven in tonight’s win over Maryland. It had been done four other times in Clemson history, most recently by K.C. Rivers in last year’s 27-point win over Duke. The first time it was done was in the 1976-77 season when Stan Rome had seven steals in a home win over Maryland. Lefty Driesell was the head coach at Maryland for that game. His son, Chuck Driesell, was an assistant coach for the Terps tonight.

*Tonight’s win was Oliver Purnell’s 48th against ACC teams since he became Clemson coach seven seasons ago. He moved into second place on Clemson’s career coaching list in terms of wins over ACC opponents with the victory. Cliff Ellis has the record with 59. Purnell had been tied with Bill Foster, who had 47 between 1975-84.

•Clemson has now won seven of nine over Maryland. In six of the seven wins, Clemson was coming off a loss, including tonight’s win. The Tigers had lost three in a row and Maryland had won four in a row entering tonight’s game.