ATLANTA – Clemson basketball wasn't in a terrible place after its one-point loss to NC State on Saturday.

The Tigers had a three-game win streak and were tied for seventh in the ACC standings. Yet, after blowing a 12-point lead and losing at home to the Wolfpack, the mood was if they were on a three-game losing skid and near the bottom of the conference.

As a result, Clemson was motivated to not only get a win at Georgia Tech but to bring back the good vibes from November-December when they began the season with an 11-1 record.

Mission accomplished after Wednesday's 81-57 victory by the Tigers (18-8, 8-7 ACC) against the Yellow Jackets (11-16, 4-12).

"In every huddle tonight, we just said, 'Spirit' because we were just trying to get back to our team spirit," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said.

It's difficult to pinpoint when the Tigers lost their "spirit" this season. It could have been when they began 2024 with three consecutive losses, or it happened after experiencing gut-wrenching one-possession losses to Georgia Tech, Duke, Virginia and NC State.

Regardless, Clemson wanted to return to the way it was before. Leading up to Wednesday's game, the team had a "difficult" film session on Monday, according to Brownell, where he challenged his older players to step up. This led to the Tigers having intense practice leading up to Wednesday's game, and their hard work showed at the McCamish Pavilion.

"We've had some that haven't gone our way, and you can't really harp on that," guard Chase Hunter said. "Practice wise, we just been competing, trying to go at each other and make sure that we're ready for the next game."

Clemson set a season high in 3-pointers made with 14 and held the Yellow Jackets to 57 points, which is the least amount the Tigers have allowed in conference play this season. Four starters scored in double figures, their bench chipped in with 11 points and they had 21 assists – most since Dec. 22.

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Albeit against Georgia Tech, a team that has the second worst record in the ACC, the Tigers displayed they have what it takes to win the ACC Tournament and reach the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in 14 years under Brownell.

Clemson is now tied in fifth place with three other teams in the ACC and is back in the "glob," as Brownell refers to it. Its next two games are crucial, facing Florida State then Pittsburgh – both are among the three teams tied in fifth.

If the November-December vibes are to truly return, then Clemson will have to show up when they match up with these teams.

"It's just making sure that (our guys) realize they have a chance to do something special, and they don't want to have any regrets," Brownell said. "We know each other enough now, (and) we know what we're about. Let's finish the right way."

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson basketball may have found 'team spirit' in win vs Georgia Tech