Nick Davidson’s efficiency allows Clemson to get past Stanford 66-64
In a late-night, cross-country matchup, Clemson defeated Stanford by just four points in an incredibly tight ACC contest.
Entering the game, Stanford had a net rating of 78, making this about as close to a Quad One matchup as can be. The Tigers were coming off two straight wins and had won 11 of their last 12. Stanford had dropped their previous four games after an upset victory over North Carolina on January 14th.
The Tigers had control for most of the first half, holding a slight lead from the sixteen-minute mark to the final second of the period. They got cold late, with zero field goals in the final four minutes, and an Aidan Camman buzzer beater allowed Stanford to take a one-point lead heading into halftime. Camman scored nineteen points in the game, despite limited playing time in the second half due to foul trouble.
Clemson got their revenge in the second. They continued to trail by less than four points for nine minutes, until a Chase Thompson and-one propelled them to a 45-43 lead. He followed up with a three-pointer on the next possession. Thompson ended the night with ten points on 4/5 shooting.
Clemson never trailed again, but Stanford tied the score multiple times in the final 10 minutes. Two Ebuka Okorie free throws leveled the score at 62 with two minutes remaining. This season, Okorie is second in the ACC in points per game, averaging 21.8, while shooting 42% from the field.
Those free throws were the last points Stanford scored until it was too late, and Clemson was able to take advantage of a three-minute scoring drought from the Cardinals and skate by with a win.
Per usual, the game saw plenty of solid contributors for the Tigers, but few stars. Godfrey anchored the defense and notched nine points. Porter made a pair of threes en route to an 8-4. Thompson scored ten (as mentioned earlier), and Ace Buckner put up 11, with the game-winning two free throws in the final seconds. But the real standout of the match was Nick Davidson. The Senior Forward scored sixteen points on 5-6 shooting. He grabbed seven rebounds, made two threes, and knocked down two huge free throws to break away from the tie with 23 seconds remaining. Davidson averages nine points and four rebounds in 21 minutes this season. After the game, he cited the team’s grit and discipline as the cause for the win; “We knew it was gonna be a gritty win, out here we knew it was gonna be tough. These guys play a lot faster at home… we just kinda grinded and stuck to our gameplan, and that’s how we came away with a dub.”
Davidson’s attitude shows why Brownell sought him out in the portal. Clemson’s coach has preached grit all season and has controlled the pace of play in almost every game since he took the job. The Tigers’ primary asset is the ability to force fast-paced teams to play at Clemson’s tempo. We dragged the Cardinals into the mud and came out victorious.
With the win, Clemson is now 11 -1 in its last 12. They’ve won 13 straight in conference road games, which is third in the history of the ACC. To continue that streak, Clemson will have to get past California, Duke, Wake Forest, and UNC.
Clemson (19-4, 9-1 ACC) is now just a game behind first place, playing top-ranked Duke on February 14th. The Tigers return home on Saturday against Virginia Tech (16-7, 5-5 ACC).
