K.J. McDaniels registered a double-double with 30 points and 14 rebounds as the Clemson Tigers dismissed the Georgia State Panthers, 78-66, during the first round of the NIT at Littlejohn Coliseum.
In addition to his double-double, McDaniels also blocked five shots and handed out three assists for the Tigers (21-12). Damarcus Harrison pitched in with 17 points and six boards and Jordan Roper 11 points and four assists off the bench for Clemson.
The Panthers (25-9) had all five starters score in double figures, led by R.J. Hunter with 15 points, but he shot only 4-of-16 from the floor. Ryan Harrow and Devonta White both accounted for 13 points, but combined to shoot only 9- of-27 from the field, while Manny Atkins and Curtis Washington stepped up with 12 and 11 points, respectively, the latter also clearing a team-best eight rebounds.
Georgia State led by three early on, but the team ended up shooting only 34.4 percent from the floor in the first half, compared to 53.6 percent for the hosts, as the Tigers put up a 35-32 advantage at the break.
The second half saw the Panthers again struggle from the field at only 34.3 percent, not to mention being outscored at the free-throw line in the period by a 14-5 margin, en route to the double-digit defeat.
With the victory the Tigers, who own a 5-0 advantage in the all-time series with GSU, now advance to the second round and will face the winner of the Boston University/Illinois matchup on Wednesday night.
[SportsNetwork.com]
