NEW! FREE SCORES AND ODDS APP. DOWNLOAD NOW! IPHONE | ANDROID| KINDLE FIRE
Refresh
Page last updated on Mon May 21 06:15:36 EDT 2012
RECAP
11/29/2009 10:51 PM EST
Stitt's free throws lift Clemson over Butler
CLEMSON 70, BUTLER 69

ANAHEIM, Calif.(AP) -- With the game on the line, Clemson's
Demontez Stitt was right where he wanted to be.

Stitt made two free throws with 3.3 seconds remaining to give
No. 19 Clemson a 70-69 victory over No. 12 Butler in the 76
Classic on Sunday night.

"I like having the ball in my hands at the end of the game,"
said Stitt, who gave credit to Clemson assistant coach Ron
Bradley for his success. "Coach Bradley gave me some tapes of me
hitting free throws in big games. I really thought back to those
tapes and it really helped."

Trevor Booker also blocked a shot and deflected an inbounds pass
in the final second for the Tigers (6-1). Booker finished with
12 points and eight rebounds, while Andre Young added 12 points.

Gordon Hayward had season highs of 18 points and 12 rebounds for
the Bulldogs (4-2). Shelvin Mack added 15 points, eight rebounds
and four assists.

"We feel like we were good enough to come out here and win (the
tournament)," Butler center Matt Howard said. "We felt that as
long as we played well defensively, we were going to be able to
move the ball and score."

Clemson trailed by 12 points before rallying to take a 68-67
lead on Young's 3-point shot with 1:32 to play. Matt Howard's
tip-in then put Butler ahead 69-68 with 56.7 seconds remaining.

Stitt made both of his free throws with 3.3 seconds left but the
Bulldogs had two more chances to score.

"That was a gutsy performance," Butler coach Brad Stevens said
of Stitt.

Butler's Willie Veasley deflected Howard's long inbounds pass to
Mack, who took a 3-point shot that Booker blocked; the ball went
out of bounds with five-tenths of a second left.

Mack tried to throw the ensuing inbounds pass across the court
to Hayward on the right side but Booker leaped to deflect the
ball as time expired.

Booker made his late impact despite being sick.

"I was worried if was going to make in through the first half at
one point," Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said. "Trevor said he
was feeling weak so I just tried to nurse him. I think his
competitive juices really started to kick in."

Clemson shot 57.7 percent and made six of 13 shots from 3-point
range in the second half.

TOP TEN WAGERS
RK Team
1
Los Angeles Lakers
2
Boston Celtics
3
Boston Celtics
4
Los Angeles Lakers
5
Oklahoma City