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GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) -- Francesca Pan scored 18 points to help Georgia Tech beat Clemson 61-52 in Wednesday's first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.
Kierra Fletcher added 12 points for the 10th-seeded Yellow Jackets (18-12), who shot 46 percent and led by as many as 16. They also finished with 15 points off turnovers.
Georgia Tech advanced to Thursday's second round to face Virginia, the tournament's No. 7 seed.
Kobi Thornton had 13 points and 13 rebounds for 15th-seeded Clemson (11-19), which lost its 11th straight game. The Tigers shot just 29 percent and made 4 of 18 3-pointers.
Clemson got as close as four points midway through the fourth quarter but couldn't complete a comeback.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: #10 Georgia Tech 61, #15 Clemson 52
Records: Georgia Tech 18-12; Clemson 11-19
Location: Greensboro Coliseum; Greensboro, N.C.
Attendance: 3,134
Georgia Tech Starters: Brown, Cubaj, Pan, Fletcher, Peresson
Clemson Starters: Thornton, Edward, Collier, Carter, Atkism
NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS
- Georgia Tech improved to 18-38 all-time in the ACC Tournament, 13-14 under current head coach MaChelle Joseph. The Yellow Jackets are 3-4 versus Clemson in ACC Tournament games.
- Georgia Tech is now 8-6 in ACC Tournament first round games.
- The Yellow Jackets followed a familiar formula in Wednesday’s victory, as sophomore Francesca Pan led a balanced scoring attack with a game-high 18 points. Pan, the only Georgia Tech player averaging more than 10 points per game (13.9), reached double figures for the 22nd time this season.
- With 13 points, Clemson sophomore center Kobi Thornton scored in double figures for the 12th time in her last 13 games and for the 13th time this season against ACC opposition.
- Thornton also grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds – one shy of her career high. Wednesday’s effort left her with six double-doubles for the season and eight for her career.
- Clemson now owns a 31-39 all-time record in the ACC Tournament. The Tigers are 4-10 all-time in first-round games.
- Wednesday’s win gave the Yellow Jackets a three-game sweep of the Tigers in 2017-18 following Georgia Tech’s two ACC wins during the regular season … The Yellow Jackets have won 25 of the last 28 meetings between the schools to tighten the all-time series, which Clemson still leads 44-38.
TEAM LEADERS
Georgia Tech
Points: Francesca Pan 18
Rebounds: Breanna Brown 6
Assists: Kierra Fletcher 3
Clemson
Points: Kobi Thornton 13; Alexis Carter 13
Rebounds: Kobi Thornton 13
Assists: Danielle Edwards 4
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Halftime: Georgia Tech, 31-22
Ties: 1
Lead Changes: 1
Largest Lead: Clemson by 2, 1st – 8:21; Georgia Tech by 16, 3rd – 7:34
Georgia Tech led for: 36:58
Clemson led for: 0:16
Game was tied for: 2:21
UP NEXT
Georgia Tech advances to face No. 7 seed Virginia (22-7) in Thursday’s 6 p.m. second-round game. The Cavaliers picked up a road win when the teams met in Atlanta on Jan. 28, winning by a score 62-56.
