Clemson looks to carry momentum from double-overtime win into N. C. State

CLEMSON, S.C. - Clemson coach Larry Shyatt, still dizzy from his team&#39;s record-setting 118-115 victory over No. 19 Wake Forest this past Wednesday, isn&#39;t sure if the momentum will swing the Tigers way when they battle No. 24 North Carolina this weekend. <br> <br> ``I think the athletes quickly forget&#39;&#39; about previous games win or lose, Shyatt said Friday. Once they hit the court for the next one, ``they get within the eye of the hurricane,&#39;&#39; he said. <br> <br> And it was a whirlwind of emotions and gritty play for the Tigers, who ended an eight-game losing streak with their early morning, double overtime win over the Demon Deacons. <br> <br> Clemson trailed by 11 points with 63 seconds to go until Wake Forest hit five 3-pointers to tie things. The Tigers again trailed in the first overtime period yet had a chance to win if Chris Hobbs finished a three-point play. Instead, he missed the foul shot and the contest continued. <br> <br> Things finally fell Clemson&#39;s and Hobbs&#39; way in the second overtime not before Hobbs called a timeout the Tigers didn&#39;t have as he hit the two clinching foul shots. <br> <br> Shyatt&#39;s not counting on the sugar buzz of the Wake win to last in Raleigh. <br> <br> ``You can point to when you had your breakthrough game&#39;&#39; where Clemson won at Georgia Tech, 83-76, on Jan. 5, Shyatt said, ``then you played so well with a little more confidence against Virginia and kicked the tar out of them. <br> <br> ``Then they say you played well against a nationally ranked team in Virginia and then fell flat on your face&#39;&#39; in losing at Wake Forest 96-55 on Jan. 12. <br> <br> ``You could get the same number of examples in either case,&#39;&#39; Shyatt said. ``We have to find a balance between high emotion and readiness to play. ... We&#39;ve shown that all year.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Some might disagree. <br> <br> The Tigers have had some uneven moments in Shyatt&#39;s fourth season. <br> <br> Yes, there were the nail-biting losses to North Carolina State (80-79) and Florida State (68-63) where the right bounce or basket might have changed the outcome. But there were also the home losses to North Carolina (87-69) and Georgia Tech (74-50) where Clemson looked ill-prepared and out of synch. <br> <br> Shyatt and several players said after the Tar Heel defeat that internal problems among teammates led to the loss. However, Shyatt backed away from that two days later. He said a review of the game film showed his players working together. <br> <br> There could be no better example of that than Wednesday night in the double-overtime victory. Shyatt said the Tigers could have folded after losing their double-digit lead in the last minute. ``But they didn&#39;t give in,&#39;&#39; he said. <br> <br> A few more similar efforts could turn the Tigers&#39; season around. They stand 11-12 overall and, with four games left in the regular season, would need to win three of four for a chance at the postseason. <br> <br> Shyatt says this group has already proven their worth through solid play. <br> <br> The Wake Forest win gave the players a chance to hear it from others, Shyatt said. ``They weren&#39;t even allowed to consider that they played well against Virginia or Duke,&#39;&#39; the coach said. ``That&#39;s how I would say it.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> NOTES: Shyatt said Clemson will get a visit from Cincinnati on Dec. 22, 2002. The Tigers will go to Cincinnati the following year, Tony Stockman&#39;s senior season. Stockman, a sophomore, is from Medina, Ohio. ... Shyatt said it was too soon to say that Clemson won&#39;t play at a revamped Littlejohn Coliseum for the 2002-2003. He says officials are checking all possibilities about how soon the renovations, currently going on outside the building as Clemson&#39;s basketball teams conclude their seasons, can be finished.