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Clinch clutch in Jackets win
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ATLANTA — Lewis Clinch threw up one final long shot after enjoying the best 3-point shooting game of his career.

"We’re not giving up," Clinch said after making nine 3-pointers and scoring 30 points to lift Georgia Tech to a 78-68 win over Miami on Wednesday night for its first win in more than a month.

"We’re going into Boston College to try to take another win and go in and win the ACC tournament and go into the NCAA tournament."

After snapping its seven-game losing streak, Georgia Tech (11-17, 2-13) has one final regular-season game left at Boston College on Saturday before entering the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

Georgia Tech is still in last place in the ACC, but coach Paul Hewitt joined Clinch’s optimistic tone by saying,

"We feel like we still have a chance to build some momentum."

Clinch, a senior playing in his final regular-season home game, set career highs for points and 3-pointers in a game. He made 9 of 16 3-point attempts to set the high mark for 3-pointers in an ACC game this season and tie the second-highest total in school history, behind Dennis Scott’s 11 against Houston on Dec. 28, 1988.

"You feel the basket is as big as an ocean," Clinch said. "You just throw it up and it’s going in."

Clinch had 20 points and six 3-pointers in the first half, helping the Yellow Jackets lead 41-25 at halftime.

"We played man (defense), he just got on a roll," said Miami coach Frank Haith.

"He just got on a roll and he was feeling it as sometimes shooters do."

Haith said his players "did a decent job" by holding Clinch to 10 points in the second half.

Even so, Clinch continued his hot shooting with two more 3s in the first five minutes of the second half.

Clinch, standing alone on the right wing, added his ninth 3 with 5:47 remaining for a 65-53 lead.

"Clinch was outstanding," Haith said.

Clinch has made a combined 27 3-pointers while scoring more than 20 points in four straight games.

Coaches Haith and Hewitt both gave Clinch credit for strong play on offense and defense. Clinch helped hold Miami’s top scorer, Jack McClinton, to 13 points, 6.7 below his average, on 3-for-12 shooting.

"Jack is probably one of the best scorers in the league," Clinch said. "With us containing him early, it got us off to a strong start."

Georgia Tech led 11-2 before Miami managed its first field goal on a basket by Dwayne Collins almost six minutes into the game.

Miami (17-11, 6-9) made only 8 of 35 shots (22.9 percent) in the first half and made only 32.4 percent of its shots for the game (23 of 71).

Gani Lawal had 14 points for Georgia Tech.

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