Clemson wins big at Notre Dame, 76-61
You could tell from the jump. Jestin Porter wanted this one. The senior guard came out firing, knocked down his first couple looks, and Notre Dame never really recovered. By the time the final buzzer sounded Saturday. night, Porter had 26 points, five steals, and Clemson had a 76-61 road win that honestly wasn’t as close as the score looks.
The Tigers led for nearly 36 minutes. Think about that. In somebody else’s building, in a conference game, and Notre Dame only held a lead for about four minutes total. Clemson came into this one 1-8 all-time at Notre Dame. That history didn’t matter Saturday.about four minutes total.
Down Low, No Contest
Here’s the thing about this game. Clemson just killed them inside. Outscored the Irish 34-18 in the paint. RJ Godfrey went 6-for-8 and finished with 16 points. His +/-20 was the best on the floor by a mile.
Carter Welling chipped in 14 and grabbed six boards. The Tigers made 9 of 13 layups. Notre Dame? They didn’t even attempt a dunk. Not one. Carson Towt did what he could with 10 rebounds and three blocks but the Irish had no answer for what Clemson was doing around the basket.
Jestin Porter’s Night
So yeah, 26 points. Shot 64 percent. But the steals are what jump out. Five of them. He was in passing lanes all night, reading Notre Dame’s guards like he knew what was coming. His +/-17 backs that up.
First half he had 12 to get things going. Second half he really took over. Scored 14 more points, went 5-for-8, hit all six free throws. When he’s playing like that on both ends there’s not much you can do.
Notre Dame Kept Giving It Away
Fourteen turnovers. That’s the number that buried the Irish.
Clemson only had six. They turned that gap into 18 points and it felt like more. Dillon Hunter ran the show with three assists and just one giveaway. Grabbed seven rebounds too which led the team. Not a flashy stat line but he made the right play over and over.
Jake Wahlin shot 1-for-8 which looks rough on paper. But check his +/-18. He was all over the place defensively, made life miserable for Notre Dame’s guards, did the dirty work that doesn’t show up in the box score.
Second Half Was Ugly for the Irish
Notre Dame actually shot 52 percent before halftime. Still trailed by five because they coughed it up nine times in 20 minutes.
After the break? Complete collapse. Shot 33 percent, scored just 27 points, and looked lost out there. Jalen Haralson had 18 for Notre Dame but finished minus-15. Logan Imes was the only Irish player in the positive and he only scored 13.
Clemson’s defense just smothered them. Seven steals in the second half alone. Contested everything. Rotated on time. The Irish couldn’t get anything going.
Everybody Ate
Three guys in double figures for the Tigers. Porter led it with 26, Godfrey had 16, and Welling added 14. Hunter chipped in 7 points with a team-high 7 rebounds. Ace Buckner and Nick Davidson combined for eight off the bench. Nothing crazy but when your starters are cooking you don’t need much.
Notre Dame got 16 from their bench and it didn’t matter.
Where This Leaves Things
Road wins in this conference are hard to come by. Clemson held Notre Dame to 61 on 42 percent shooting while taking care of the ball themselves. That’s the recipe.
Porter’s playing like an All-ACC guy right now. Godfrey gives them a reliable option inside. Hunter’s figuring out how to run a team. Welling does a little bit of everything.
Quick turnaround coming with another conference game on deck. We’ll see how Brownell handles the rotation but right now this team looks like it’s hitting its stride at the right time.
The win puts Clemson at 14-3 (4-0 in ACC) play. That’s back-to-back years starting conference play 4-0, something the program hasn’t done in a long time. The Tigers are making a habit of winning early in league play.
