Georgia Tech Shows Flashes, But Can't Keep Pace with Clemson in ACC Battle
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets came into Saturday’s matchup hoping to flip the script on a rocky start to conference play. Sitting at 2-4 in the ACC and 11-8 overall, the Jackets had a chance to make a statement at home against a Clemson squad that’s been trending upward. But despite some promising stretches and a few highlight-reel moments, Georgia Tech couldn’t string together enough consistency on either end of the floor, ultimately falling short in a game where every run felt like a missed opportunity.
Starting Five and Early Energy
Georgia Tech rolled out a starting group of Lamar Washington, Akai Fleming, Baye Ndongo, Kowacie Reeves, and Jared Mustaf. The early minutes saw the Jackets trading blows with Clemson, with Washington getting on the board first at the free-throw line and Reeves knocking down a three in response to a Tigers bucket. Fleming added a point at the stripe, and Washington followed with a strong drive to the rim.
Jared Mustaf showed early confidence from beyond the arc, knocking down a three that helped Tech edge ahead briefly. But the rhythm was disrupted when Abdoulaye Sylla, who had subbed in for Ndongo, went down with an apparent ankle injury. That forced the Jackets to shuffle their rotation earlier than planned.
Still, Tech kept pace. Reeves and Ndongo scored on back-to-back possessions, and the Jackets were level at 14 midway through the first half.
Momentum Swings and Missed Chances
Clemson found a spark with a thunderous dunk off an inbounds play, but Reeves answered right back with a mid-range jumper. Washington followed with a smooth pull-up, and Tech briefly regained the lead.
But as the half wore on, the Jackets’ offense hit a wall. A four-minute scoring drought allowed Clemson to go on a run, flipping the scoreboard in their favor and forcing Tech into a timeout trailing 30-23.
To their credit, the Jackets responded. Kelly knocked down a pair of free throws, Reeves threw down an alley-oop, and then buried a three.
Kelly added another triple, prompting a Clemson timeout with just over a minute left in the half. But the Tigers had the final word before the break, banking in a buzzer-beater to take a 35-33 lead into the locker room.
Second Half Struggles
Out of the break, Clemson came out firing, scoring five quick points while Georgia Tech turned the ball over multiple times. The Jackets looked out of sync early in the half, and Clemson took full advantage, pushing the lead to double digits.
Mustaf tried to stop the bleeding with a three, and Sylla chipped in a free throw, but the Tigers kept pouring it on from long range. A Clemson three pushed the lead to 11 with 13:34 to go, and despite another triple from Kelly and an and-one from Washington, Georgia Tech couldn’t get enough stops to close the gap.
Reeves continued to fight, answering a Clemson three with one of his own, then watching Ndongo pick off a pass and throw down a slam. But every time the Jackets made a push, Clemson had an answer. Mustaf scored on a layup, and Reeves converted on an inbounds play to cut into the lead, but the Tigers called timeout with a 69-56 cushion and just over four minutes remaining.
Late Push Falls Short
Reeves added another dunk with just over two minutes to go, and Craft connected from deep to bring the deficit to eight. But that was as close as it would get. A pair of empty possessions followed, and Clemson capitalized, stretching the lead back to 14 and effectively sealing the game.
Takeaways
This was a game of runs, and Georgia Tech simply couldn’t sustain theirs long enough-or stop Clemson’s when it mattered most. Reeves continued to be a bright spot, providing scoring and energy throughout.
Mustaf and Kelly hit timely shots, and Washington showed flashes of control at the point. But the Jackets’ defense struggled to contain Clemson’s perimeter shooting, and their offensive execution wavered during key stretches.
At 2-5 in ACC play, Georgia Tech has work to do if they want to climb back into the conference conversation. The talent is there, and the effort was evident, but the margin for error in the ACC is razor-thin. The Jackets will need to find a way to string together complete performances-and fast.