Yellow Jackets can’t overcome poor shooting against Clemson

Compared against recent showings, Georgia Tech looked sort of sickly Wednesday night. Turns out, the Jackets were.

They dropped a 74-62 loss at Clemson, lacking the verve that pushed them past No. 6 Florida State and No. 12 Notre Dame last week. With three prime contributors sick or hobbling, Tech could not survive a brutal shooting night and went quietly.

Coach Josh Pastner wasn’t leaning on any of that, though, after Tech fell to 13-9, and 5-5 in the ACC. He was cranky because the Tigers (13-8, 3-6) beat his team in a variety of ways, chiefly with an activity surplus. Last in the league in rebounding differential at -7.1 per game, the Tigers edged the Jackets 36-34 on the glass.

Starting point guard Josh Heath was a game-time decision after battling flu symptons (he required an IV afterward). Starting forward Quinton Stephens saw his first action since Saturday’s game against the Fighting Irish and primary sub Tadric Jackson also missed practice Monday and Tuesday for the same reason. Both have ankle sprains.

Match those physical problems with a flat performance and Clemson won its second straight following a six-game losing streak.

“When we don’t play with energy, effort and a lack of execution, which we did for 32 minutes, we’re just not real good,” Pastner said.

Junior center Ben Lammers put up a career-high 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds, but Tech was lousy on offense for 30-plus minutes. Jackson added 12 points off the bench and leading scorer Josh Okogie scored 12, including 10 in the second half. Beyond Lammers and Jackson, the Jackets made 7 of 27.

“We are not a team that can rely on one individual; we are not built that way,” Pastner said. “Quinton and Josh Okogie and Josh Heath are a combined 7 for 23, it’s going to be hard for us . ... Seventeen turnovers, that’s a recipe for disaster.”

Pastner went much deeper into his bench than in the Jackets’ 62-60 win Saturday over Notre Dame, only partly because four of Tech’s five starters in that game played huge minutes, with Lammers going all 40.

The Jackets’ injury report may have had more to do with nine players getting meaningful minutes and 10 playing overall.

“We didn’t practice well Monday. Quinton didn’t practice. Josh Heath, I didn’t know if he was going to play today,” Pastner said. “I’m thankful for Clemson’s medical department; they got him an IV, which made him feel a little better. Tadric hasn’t practiced the last two days because of an ankle. We’re not a team that cannot practice.”