When Ace Buckner and Carter Welling checked into the game, South Carolina’s chances checked out.
The Tigers rode a 41-14 bench scoring advantage to bury their in-state rivals 68-61 Tuesday night at Littlejohn Coliseum. While both starting lineups battled to a relative standstill, Brad Brownell’s reserves outscored the Gamecocks’ bench by 27 points, nearly four times the final margin.
Buckner torched South Carolina for a career-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting in 30 minutes. Welling added a season-high 16 points despite struggling at the free-throw line. Their combined 35 points off the bench gave Clemson the separation it needed to hold off a second-half push from the Gamecocks.
Depth was the difference. Not just having bodies. Having game-changers in reserve.
Clemson Took Control in First Half
Clemson jumped on South Carolina early. Shot 50 percent in the first half while holding the Gamecocks to 39.3. The Tigers hit 4-of-9 from three, with Nick Davidson and Jestin Porter knocking down key shots.
The real story? Welling and Buckner combined for 12 first-half points off the bench. That matched South Carolina’s entire bench production for the game. When Clemson’s starters cooled off, the second unit kept scoring.
Dillon Hunter ran the offense in the first half, dishing out four assists in 17 minutes while scoring six points on 3-of-4 shooting. He picked apart the defense and found open shooters all night.
The Tigers grabbed a 34-27 lead at the break. The Gamecocks never seriously threatened after that.
South Carolina hung around thanks to Mike Sharavjamts, who poured in nine first-half points on 4-of-6 shooting. But when he cooled off in the second half, managing just four points on 1-of-3 shooting after intermission, the Gamecocks had no bench spark to pick up the slack.
That’s the game in a nutshell.
Buckner’s Second Half Takes Over
The second half belonged to Buckner.
Buckner put up 15 in the second half alone. Hit 5-of-9 shots, went perfect from the line, grabbed seven boards, swiped two steals. South Carolina’s bench had no answer.
And it wasn’t just the points. Buckner’s defensive energy threw the Gamecocks off. Seven second-half turnovers turned into 14 Clemson points.
When the Gamecocks tried to make a run, Buckner slammed the door shut.
Welling added eight more in the second half. Missed too many free throws (4-of-10), but his rebounding and three steals made up for it. Clemson’s second-chance points? 16-6 advantage.
The starters held it down. Hunter ran the show with six assists and no turnovers. Davidson hit big free throws late. Godfrey chipped in six points before picking up fouls.
The rotation worked. When the starters needed a breather, the bench extended leads.
That’s championship-level depth.
South Carolina’s Struggles
Chris Essandoko, Kobe Knox, and Sharavjamts all hit double figures for South Carolina. Knox and Sharavjamts each had 13. Myles Stute scored five in the first half, then disappeared. Meechi Johnson ran the offense with four assists and eight points.
But the Gamecocks shot themselves in the foot.
South Carolina went 4-for-26 from three. That’s 15 percent. Can’t win shooting like that, especially when your bench gets beat 41-14.
The 14 turnovers didn’t help either. Clemson turned those into 14 points and grabbed 10 steals. The Gamecocks never found any rhythm.
The free-throw line told two different stories. South Carolina hit 19-of-23 (82.6 percent) from the stripe, while Clemson managed just 19-of-31 (61.3 percent). In a closer game, that discrepancy could’ve been fatal.
But when you’re getting 41 bench points, you can afford to miss a few freebies.
Defensive Grit and Second-Chance Dominance
Clemson’s defense wasn’t spectacular, but it was effective when it mattered.
South Carolina shot 37 percent for the game, 34 percent in the second half. Clemson’s defense clamped down when it counted.
The Gamecocks won the rebounding battle 33-29. Didn’t matter. Clemson turned eight offensive boards into 16 second-chance points. South Carolina got six.
That’s where games get won.
Welling and Buckner didn’t just rebound. They scored off those boards. Smart positioning, quick putbacks.
What This Means for Clemson
This victory does more than just secure bragging rights over South Carolina.
The win improved Clemson to 9-3 on the season and extended the Tigers’ series dominance to 40-21 since the Gamecocks left the ACC following the 1971-72 season. It also marked Brad Brownell’s 301st win at Clemson and the 468th of his career, improving his record against South Carolina to 8-7.
This win proves Clemson’s got the depth for conference play. Buckner and Welling combined for 35 off the bench. That’s not role player production. That’s winning basketball in March.
Clemson led for 32-plus minutes. Never trailed after halftime. That’s control.
Hunter’s six assists, one turnover. Growing into a real floor general. Davidson hit clutch shots. The bench duo showed they’re more than depth pieces.
Clemson’s now 16-6 against SEC teams in its last 22. That matters come tournament time.
Brownell has to be thrilled with this performance. The starters did their job, and the bench exceeded expectations.
The Numbers That Matter
Beyond the final score, these stats tell the story:
- Bench points: Clemson 41, South Carolina 14 (27-point differential)
- Second-chance points: Clemson 16, South Carolina 6
- Points off turnovers: Clemson 14, South Carolina 9
- Field goal percentage: Clemson 46.8%, South Carolina 37.3%
- Three-point shooting: Clemson 5-of-14 (35.7%), South Carolina 4-of-26 (15.4%)
That three-point shooting differential is brutal for South Carolina. You can’t win many games shooting 15 percent from deep, especially when your bench gets torched.
Clemson controlled the game flow start to finish. South Carolina’s best run? Five points. Clemson went on an 18-0 run.
That breaks teams.
The 9,000 at Littlejohn got loud. Every Buckner dunk, every Welling put-back, the crowd erupted. South Carolina wilted.
Up Next
Clemson faces Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 21 in the Greenville Winter Invitational at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Tip-off is 3 p.m. on ESPN. If this bench keeps showing up like Tuesday night, Cincinnati’s got problems.
