The Clemson men’s basketball team (13-5, 3-4 ACC) defeated the Florida State Seminoles (11-7, 5-2 ACC) at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Florida.
Four double-digit scorers. 28 bench points. Those two factors were the difference-maker in the Tigers’ 11-point win in Tallahassee, their most when playing at Florida State since 1998.
Clemson started off down in the first half, however. Florida State mounted an eight-point lead in the first half before the Tigers were able to mount a comeback to go into the break tied at 30. After Clemson went on a 7-0 run to begin the second frame, they were back in control, holding a 13-point lead at one point before winning by double digits at the final buzzer.
Leading Clemson was a plethora of scorers. Guard Chase Hunter led the team in points, scoring 14 points while sinking eight free throws in the win. Senior PJ Hall followed closely behind, adding 13 points and six rebounds to the scoresheet.
Guard Joe Girard III scored ten points as well, sinking two threes and dishing four assists.
Two of the biggest X-factors in the win were guard Josh Beadle and forward Jack Clark. Beadle scored a career-high 12 points from off the bench, proving incredible bench play against a Florida State team that dominated opponents with the pieces that they brought from their extended rotation of players.
Clark, who was playing in his second game since returning from injury, did it all against the Seminoles. The NC State transfer scored seven points and added seven rebounds, playing in 21 minutes after starting the game on the bench. He also added four assists, which was a tied-team high on Saturday night. Don’t be surprised if the forward cracks Brad Brownell’s starting rotation very soon, presenting his valuable worth on both sides of the ball.
After being in the bottom half of the ACC standings to begin Saturday, the Tigers grab a huge win to bounce back in conference play, with hopes to go back to the top of the conference in upcoming contests.
With that being said, Clemson’s biggest road test is coming up next for the team: the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils. The Tigers will travel to Durham, North Carolina, to face the Blue Devils next Saturday afternoon, as the team will have a whole week to prepare for the college basketball blue blood.
