CUTigers

OFFICIAL GAME THREAD: CLEMSON vs. North Carolina

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 13:04:38

Tip is at 7:00 on the ACC Network, and I'll have live updates from Littlejohn right here. Since reaching No.12 in the rankings and having to pause for COVID, the Tigers have lost 4 of their last 5, all by blowout. The exception was a 54-50 win over No.25 Louisville last week. I thought that it meant the Tigers were out of their funk and that they would give Duke a run for their money, but they reverted back to how they played during the 3-game losing streak and laid an egg in Cameron, trailing by as many as 35 at one point in the second half.

The Tigers are now 10-5 overall and 4-5 in the ACC. They are still very much in the hunt for the NCAA Tournament if they can start playing like they were before the COVID layoff. They have an outstanding resume with wins over Alabama, FSU, Louisville, Purdue and Maryland, and all of their losses are to good teams. 3 of the 5 are ranked.

UNC was one of the hottest teams in the ACC before their game was postponed last week. Hopefully the layoff will effect them the same way it did the Tigers. The Heels also have a game at Duke next on Saturday, so perhaps they will be looking ahead to that one. At any rate, if the Tigers can beat UNC for the second straight year and win at least half of the rest of their games, they should make the NCAA Tournament. In order to do that, though, they must start playing better defense and stop allowing 3's! UVA, Georgia Tech, FSU and Duke all made ten 3's or more against the Tigers, averaging over 50%. That has to stop tonight!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:40:55

Brownell has mixed up the starting lineup a bit with Nick Honor and Alex Hemenway joining usual starters Simms, Trapp and Tyson. Newman is out tonight, apparently for disciplinary reasons.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:41:17

Tigers win the tip, but Trapp misses a 3.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:41:56

Brooks puts the Heels up 2-0.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:42:32

Hemenway drives for a dunk to tie it! Taking advantage of a rare start.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:42:59

Simms layup puts the Tigers up 2.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:44:01

HONOR FOR 3!!! Tigers lead by 5! The two new starters have scored 5 of the first 7 for the Tigers.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:44:54

Simms layup puts the Tigers up 7! Great start!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:45:27

Baehre dunk puts Tigers up 9!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:46:01

Brooks scores again to cut the lead to 7.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:46:21

O-Max puts the Tigers back up 9 with a pair of free throws!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:47:03

Heels cut the lead to 7.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:47:35

SIMMS FOR 3!!! He has 7 already, and the Tigers lead by 10!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:48:17

Layup and a free throw by Heels cut the lead to 7 again.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:49:04

HUNTER FOR 3!!! Tigers lead by 10 again!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:49:49

HONOR FOR 3!!! Tigers have five 3's already and lead by 13! Second 3 for Honor.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:50:31

Trapp layup puts the Tigers up 15!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:50:47

Heels hit a 3 to cut the lead to 12.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:51:17

Heels hit another 3 to cut the lead to 9.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:51:45

DAWES FOR 3!!! Tigers lead by 12 again! 4 different Tigers have made 3's.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:52:19

Heels make a free throw to cut the lead to 11.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:53:10

TRAPP FOR 3!!! He's the 5th differen Tiger to make a 3 already. They lead by 14!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:53:49

Dunk by Trapp puts the Tigers up 16! Their largest lead.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:54:23

Heels hit a 3 to cut the lead to 13 with under 2 mins left in the half.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:54:56

O-Max makes one of two at the line to push the lead to 14.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 18:56:25

Heels make a layup with 23 seconds left, and Honor misses a layup to end the half. Tigers finally playing like they were before COVID! Playing great D and making 3's! They are 6-15 from 3 so far. Hope they keep this up for the rest of the season!

TIGERS LEAD 33-21 AT THE HALF.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:26:44

Heels hit a 3 to open the half.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:27:20

Trapp answers with a jumper. Tigers lead by 11.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:27:58

Trapp makes one of two at the line. Tigers lead by 12 again.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:28:42

Heels make one of two at the line. Tigers lead by 11.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:29:07

TRAPP DUNK!!! Tigers lead by 13!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:29:51

Heels make a pair of free throws and a dunk to cut the lead to 9.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:30:37

Good grief, lead is cut to 5 after a jumper and another dunk by Brooks. It's an 8-0 run!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:31:02

Jumper by Dawes pushes the lead to 7 and stops the run.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:32:41

Ugh Heels hit a 3 to cut the lead to 4. It's the closest it's been since early in the game.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:33:56

Trapp layup pushes the lead to 6! He has 14 to lead the Tigers!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:34:33

Brooks jumper cuts the lead to 4 again.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:35:10

Heels miss 3 straight free throws after a lane violation by Hemenway.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:37:52

TYSON FOR 3!!! First 3 of the half for the Tigers puts them up by 7 with 9 mins left!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:38:18

Tyson takes a charge at the other end!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:40:19

Heels hit a jumper to cut the lead to 5.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:40:53

Tyson answers with a jumper at the other end! Tigers lead by 7 again.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:43:29

Ugh terrible call by refs put Heels on the line for one-and-one and gives Tyson his 3rd foul. Text book charge, the UNC player lowered his shoulder and gave Tyson a body check.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:48:47

He missed the front end! Justice!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:49:31

Heels hit a jumper to cut the lead to 5.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:50:00

SIMMS AND ONE!!! He completes the 3-point play to put the Tigers up 8!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:50:19

Heels make one of two at the line to cut the lead to 7.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:50:52

Tyson makes a pair of free throws to push the lead to 9 with 4:30 left!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:57:07

Tigers still lead by 9, with the ball, with 2 mins left! Make your free throws, and it's over!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 19:57:32

Dawes left-handed layup at the buzzer! Tigers lead by 11!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 20:00:20

Heels make a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 9.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 20:00:55

TYSON FOR 3!!! What a half he's had on both ends! Tigers lead by 12!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 20:01:28

Heels make one of two to cut the lead to 11 with a minute left.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 20:02:11

Tyson drives and makes a pair of free throws to push the lead to 13!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 20:02:40

Heels make a layup to cut the lead to 11 with 26 seconds left.

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 20:03:17

HOME RUN TO TYSON FOR A DUNK!!! Tigers lead by 13 and have this one wrapped up!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 20:04:28

TYSON DUNK AGAIN!!! What a half!

CUTrevor 2021-02-02 20:56:58

UNC misses a jumper to end the game.

TIGERS WIN 63-50!!!

2nd straight home opponent they've held to exactly 50 points! Heels were just 5-19 from 3, which is a huge contrast from the Tigers' last 4 losses. What a second half by Hunter Tyson, whose just been back from injury for a couple weeks! He scored 16 points, all in the 2nd half, including the Tigers' only two 3's of the half. He also made a couple great plays at the defensive end when the game was close and had a couple big dunks at the end! I thought he was the difference in the game when the Heels got to within 4 points with under 10 mins left. Trapp also had a great game with 14 points and 9 rebounds. I've always said that Trapp is an outstanding rebounder for a guard and doesn't get enough credit for that part of his game. Rebounding is always huge when you play UNC because that is how they beat you.

The Tigers are now 11-5 overall and 5-5 in the ACC. UNC was one of the hottest teams in the ACC coming in, and the Tigers have beaten them 3 times in the last 4 meetings! The Tigers have back-to-back home games for the first time in a long time with Cuse coming to town on Saturday. If the Tigers win at least half of their remaining games, I'm pretty sure they'll make the NCAA Tourney. Hopefully they'll put together another win streak like we saw before the COVID layoff!

I'll have post-game interviews in a bit!