CUTigers

OFFICIAL GAME THREAD: CLEMSON at Duke

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 09:20:01

Tip is at noon on ESPN2. The Tigers are coming off a 54-50 win over No.25 Louisville that ended a 3-game skid. Duke also just ended a 3-game losing streak with a close home win over Georgia Tech a few nights ago. Duke lost at Louisville 70-65 a week ago. The Tigers haven't beaten Duke in Cameron since 1995 when I was a Clemson undergrad. If there were ever a great chance for the Tigers to end that drought, it would be this year! There will be no fans, of course, and Duke is unranked for the first season in years. The Tigers have beaten Duke several times in recent years, just not at Cameron. In fact the Tigers won the last meeting, which was last season when Duke came in as a top-5 team.

I'll have live play-by-play right here!

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:09:51

Same starting lineup for the Tigers as Wednesday: Simms, Trapp, Dawes, Tyson and Newman.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:11:04

Hurt hits a jumper a minute in to put Duke up 2-0. Can't let him get hot shooting from outside!

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:11:53

Simms layup ties it! He needs to get off to a good start, stay out of foul trouble and score at least 15 for the Tigers to win today.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:12:30

Hurt scores again. Tigers trail by 2.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:12:45

Duke jumper pushes the lead to 4.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:13:40

Dawes misses his first shot from 3. He needs to hit those again today like he did on Wednesday! Offensive player of the game.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:15:08

Good grief ugly half so far! Still 6-2 Duke 7 mins in. Good to see the Tigers following up their great defense from Wed night, but they've gotta find their offense!

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:16:01

Ugh 3-point play makes it 9-2 Duke.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:17:27

DAWES FOR 3!!! Tigers needed that! They trail 9-5 with under 13 mins left in the half.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:18:30

Ugh Johnson dunk and one puts Duke back up 7. Hall has 2 fouls already.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:19:06

Duke hits a jumper to go up 9.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:25:26

Good grief Duke hits a 3 to go up 12. Tigers are on pace to score 20 points today.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:31:01

O-Max dunk cuts the lead to 10.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:31:39

Simms makes one of two at the line to cut the lead to 9.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:32:50

Duke makes a layup and a 3 to go up by 14, their biggest lead of the game.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:33:21

HONOR FOR 3!!! His first points of the game cut the lead to 11.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:34:32

Ugh Hall picks up his 3rd foul. Hurt makes both to push the lead to 13.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:35:22

Moore makes a 3 to give Duke its largest lead at 16 with 6 mins left in the half.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:35:56

Newman finally gets on the board with a layup. Tigers trail by 14.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:36:47

SIMMS FOR 3!!! Tigers trail by 11 with 5 mins left in the half.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:37:49

Simms picks up his 2nd foul. He'll have to be careful not to get a 3rd before the half!

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:38:24

Hurt makes both at the line again to put Duke up 13.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:38:54

Trapp makes a layup for his first points. Tigers trail by 11 again.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:39:18

Ugh Duke hits a 3 to go up 14.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:39:40

Simms dunk cuts the lead to 12. He has 8 of the Tigers' 20 points.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:43:03

Good grief Simms picks up his 3rd foul with 3 mins left in the half. He's done for the half and probably won't start the 2nd half. Like I said, he'd have to stay out of foul trouble for the Tigers to win today. Hall also has 3, and they're gonna be in a world of hurt if he and Simms both get 4.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:45:33

Duke makes both free throws to go up 14.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:45:56

Hemenway makes a pair of free throws for his first points. Tigers trail by 12.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:47:37

Duke makes a dunk, a layup and a 3 to go up by 19 just like that with 1:30 left in the half. Of course, Simms in on the bench with 3 fouls!

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 11:53:08

Moore misses a 3 to end the half. Brownell will have to take a chance I think and start Simms in the 2nd half, or this game will be over in a hurry. Simms needs to learn how to play without fouling! Gotta get some 3's from Dawes, Honor and Hemenway as well. So much for the defense we saw against Louisville. They are on the verge of giving up 80 points just like they did in each of their 3 straight losses.

TIGERS TRAIL 41-22 AT THE HALF.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:17:48

Brownell will do as I suggested and take a chance with Simms starting the 2nd half despite the 3 fouls. He needs to go at least 15 mins without fouling!

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:19:04

Good grief Duke hits a 3 to start the half. Tigers trail by 22.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:21:00

Hurt hits another 3 to go up 25. Timeout Tigers. It's a 13-0 run going back to the last 3 mins of the first half!

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:22:32

Brownell was about as mad as I've ever seen him during that timeout. And rightfully so!

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:23:50

Good grief fast break dunk makes it a 27-point lead. It's a 15-0 run since the last 3 mins of the first half.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:24:41

Simms gets away with a push off but still misses the layup.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:25:48

Lol another Duke 3 puts them up by 30. Feels just like that 3-game losing streak prior to the Louisville game.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:27:55

Simms finally makes a layup for the Tigers' first points in 7 minutes of play going back to the first half.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:28:10

Duke goes up by 30 again.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:28:39

Dawes hits a 3 to cut the lead to 27.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:29:35

Simms makes a layup but Duke answers.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:31:01

Simms picks up his 4th foul with 15 mins left. Lol that doesn't help.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:32:21

Duke hits a 3 to go up by 32 with 13 mins left.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:33:24

O-Max dunk cuts the lead to 33 with 11 mins left.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:34:49

Hunter jumper cuts the lead to 31.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:41:00

Reverse layup by O-Max cuts the lead to 32. Gotta like his future! This game can't end soon enough.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:42:53

Simms makes a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 30. He has 14.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:43:15

Hemenway layup cuts the lead to 28.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:44:47

Simms 3-point play cuts the lead to 27.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 12:45:53

Score is 74-47. Hard to believe this is the same score by which the Tigers beat Duke when I was in grad school back in 2008! Still over 4 mins left to play.

CUTrevor 2021-01-30 13:14:45

Hall makes a pair of free throws to end the game.

TIGERS LOSE 79-53.

I thought after the Tigers held Louisville to just 50 points the other night that we might see them go on another run like they had before the COVID layoff. No such luck! They reverted right back to what we saw during that 3-game losing streak. Bad defense and worse offense. It's back to the drawing board for the Tigers, who fall to 10-5 and 4-5 in the ACC. Next up is UNC on Tuesday in Littlejohn, and the Heels have been playing well lately!