Clemson to Face Syracuse in NIT Quarterfinals

Clemson (23-10) will face Syracuse (24-10) Wednesday night at 7:00 PM at Littlejohn Coliseum in the quarterfinals of the NIT Presented by Mastercard. The game will be televised by one of the ESPN networks. Tickets will be on sale at the Clemson ticket office at Memorial Stadium starting Tuesday morning at 8:30 AM. The prices will be $10 for adults and $4 for students 18 and under, and Clemson University Students.

The winner of Wednesday's game will advance to Madison Square Garden for the NIT semifinals March 27, with the finals to follow March 29. Clemson has advanced to the quarterfinals after wins over East Tennessee State and Mississippi, while Syracuse has advanced with wins over South Alabama and San Diego State. Syracuse is led in scoring by Demetris Nichols with a 18.9 average. He has made 97 three-point shots for the season and also pulled in 5.4 rebounds per game. Eric Devendorf averages 14.5 points per game and leads the team in assists with 144. Terrence Roberts is a frontcourt player who averages 8.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Darryl Watkins is an outstanding shot blocker with 111 for the season.

Clemson is led in scoring by K.C. Rivers with a 13.3 scoring average, one of five Tigers in double figures for the season. Trevor Booker, Clemson's fifth leading scorer with a 10.4 average, led the Tigers against Mississippi with 21 points, including 8-9 field goal shooting.

This will be just the second meeting between Clemson and Syracuse. The Tigers won the only previous meeting, a 78-67 win in Kent, OH to open the 1960-61 season. Syracuse is actually 1-1 in Littlejohn Coliseum, but has never met the Tigers. They lost to Austin Peay, but defeated Harvard in the 1975 IPTAY Tournament at Littlejohn Coliseum.