Clemson starts ACC play 2-0
Clemson heads to Pittsburgh looking to improve to 2-0 in ACC play and extend an impressive 13-game winning streak against the Panthers. The Tigers made multiple inside shots in the first half, while the Panthers got to the free throw line multiple times. Clemson got off to a fast start, trying to attack Pitt’s thin frontcourt, and RJ Godfrey scored in double figures in the half. Justin Porter also had a strong first half, including six points with smart shots around the rim and a hard fadeaway baseline jumper that broke the shot clock. The early momentum was dented when the referee decided to call a technical foul on Godfrey after he completed a dunk. Clemson led 19-16 at this point, but Tech turned the momentum around for the Panthers and gave them the advantage with nearly eight minutes left in the half. Clemson regained the lead thanks to strong play from Godfrey and Nick Davidson in the paint and from the free throw line, and Pitt led 35-34 at halftime on a heroic three-pointer from leading scorer D’Marco Minor at the end of the half. Pitt made five 3-pointers in the first half to Clemson’s two and made 10 of 14 free throws compared to Clemson’s 6 of 9. Clemson once again struggled from the three-point line, going just 2-9 in the first half, most of which were open shots.
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Clemson got going early in the second half after a Brownell timeout, setting up a 3-pointer by Justin Porter. Clemson also stepped up on defense, going on a 12-2 run to build a seven-point lead before Pitt broke the lead with a step-back 3-pointer. The physical rivalry continued, with players dunking on each other at both ends of the court. Clemson’s more aggressive full-court defense resulted in a five-second violation, which led to two free throws by Godfrey to push the lead back to 51-45 with less than 12 minutes of timeout.
Pitt completed several difficult one-on-one shots under duress before regaining the lead at 56-53 after a Tiger turnover and a Barry Dunning dunk that led to a Brownell timeout. Butta Johnson tied the game again with her third 3-pointer of the game following a Dillon Hunter kickoff. Clemson’s Justin Porter then hit two more three-pointers to regain the lead 62-58 before the 4-minute timeout, but Pitt continued to draw fouls and once again led the Tigers to a bonus. Carter Waring made a tough hook shot while being fouled in the paint, and Clemson’s balanced offense continued to show.
Clemson eventually got the bonus when it fouled Pitt center Cam Cohen with 3:28 left, and Nick Davidson hit a 1-2 shot from the free throw line to take a 66-61 lead. After a great defensive possession, Clemson completed a nice pass and received a layup by Porter to extend the lead to seven points. However, Pitt wouldn’t go away and Omari Witherspoon nailed a tough shot to bring the lead back to five. Pitt missed the transition three-pointer and had to start fouling. Dillon Hunter once again seized the key opportunity on the FT line and scored 2 points. Carter Waring had a huge block, but Hunter missed the front end of the 1-1, keeping Pitt alive. However, the Panthers took the lead in transition and Butta Johnson had a chance to freeze the game before also missing a free throw on the front end. Pitt missed a 3-pointer and Justin Porter had a chance to freeze the game at the free throw line, making it a three-possession game at 2-2.
Clemson’s Jestin Porter scored 21 points, followed by RJ Godfrey with 14 points. Nick Davidson and Butta Johnson, who came off the bench, contributed 24 points, and four Tigers scored in double figures. Pitt was led by Minor’s 17 points, but only made one 3-pointer in the second half, and ultimately lost to the Financial Times 16-18. Away wins are always huge and you never want to take them for granted. Clemson will now play four of its next five games at home, starting with SMU on Wednesday, January 7th, and they will be a crafty powerhouse.
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