The Clemson basketball team showed their mettle on Friday night, overcoming a slow start to defeat the Florida A&M Rattlers 86-58 at Littlejohn Coliseum. The Tigers, now 7-1 on the season, used a dominant second half performance to pull away for the convincing victory.
After claiming the Sunshine Slam tournament championship earlier in the week with wins over San Francisco and Penn State, Clemson aimed to keep their momentum going. However, the Rattlers proved to be pesky opponents in the first half, trailing by just six points at the break, 38-32.
“We pressed too much, rushed some shots, and gambled defensively, which cost us,” acknowledged Clemson head coach Brad Brownell. “We just needed to focus on the details, stay in front defensively, and make calmer decisions offensively.”
Indeed, the Tigers clamped down defensively to start the second half, suffocating Florida A&M and holding them to a mere four points over the first nine minutes of the period. Meanwhile, Clemson’s offense caught fire, shooting a blistering 54.8% from the field and 58.3% from beyond the arc. The combination allowed the Tigers to outscore the Rattlers by 22 in the half and cruise to the 26-point win.
Chase Hunter led a balanced Clemson attack with 16 points. Chauncey Wiggins chipped in 15, while Jaeden Zackery and Viktor Lakhin added 13 and 12 points respectively.
But it was Ian Schieffelin who made his presence felt most on the glass. The sophomore forward from Atlanta grabbed 15 rebounds, including four on the offensive end. It marked his third straight game with at least 13 boards.
“Ian and Jaden play incredibly hard all the time, and it makes you reflect on your own effort. We talk about that in film sessions, and it’s something our team needs to embrace. We may not be as talented as some teams we’ve had here, but we have good talent. When we play hard and stay competitive, we have a chance to beat a lot of people.”
Brad Brownell
Now Clemson turns their attention to a marquee matchup with No. 8 Kentucky on Tuesday night. The game, part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, is sure to draw a raucous crowd to Littlejohn Coliseum and a national TV audience on ESPN.
At 7-1, with their only loss coming to a ranked Boise State, the Tigers appear poised to make some noise as the calendar flips to December. And if they can get more performances like Friday night’s, Clemson could find itself back in the national rankings soon.
