Basketball
HUNTER HAS ANOTHER CAREER GAME AS CLEMSON WINS SECOND STRAIGHT SHORT HANDED 70-60 AT BOSTON COLLEGE
- 2022-02-27 15:59:48
0
The Tigers would have to play at Boston College without PJ Hall for the third straight game in addition to second-leading scorer Hunter Tyson, who has missed the last month with a broken clavicle. However, for the second straight game Chase Hunter would put up career numbers, going 7-9 from the field for a new career-high 23 points. His 10-12 from the field for 21 points against Wake on Wednesday were both career highs, and he is an astonishing 17-21 from the field in the last two games. That would be incredible for a low post player who gets most of his points on dunks and layups, but for a shooting guard, it's almost unheard of! With their two best players out, the Tigers desperately needed someone to step up and elevate his game, and Hunter has been that guy. He didn't even make his first start this season until a couple weeks ago, but he has certainly made the most of his opportunities.
For the second straight game, Dawes was the second-leading scorer, going 4-8 from the arc for 16 points. The rest of the team was just 2-12 from the arc, but they were 24-30 (80%) at the free throw line, making twice as many free throws as the Eagles. Collins, who has been playing with a hurt thumb and thigh, was just 1-6 from the field but 8-10 at the free throw line with a team-high 10 boards. Freshman Ben Middlebrooks made his second straight start and scored a career-high 8 points, going 4-6 from the field. He also had 9 rebounds.
The Tigers were able to avenge the home loss to BC in January, in which they blew a 23-point lead. They led just 28-25 after a back-and-forth first half but controlled the entire second half, leading by as many as 14 with 6:30 left. You'd think that they would run out of gas with two starters out, but they seemed to get stronger as the game went on. The last two games have illustrated how good this team could have been if not for the injuries. I firmly believe they would have made the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year, far surpassing all expectations for this team. It will be a season of what might have been, but for now, the Tigers are just playing for each other and trying to finish on a strong note, possibly making the NIT. If they do make the NIT, they will be one of the best teams in the field and could make a strong run because they'll have Hall back and probably Tyson. They'll wrap up their regular season schedule at home against Georgia Tech and VA Tech, which is fighting for an NCAA bid. Then they'll have the ACC Tournament up in Brooklyn.
Post-game interviews are below!
Never miss the latest news from CUTigers!
Join our free email list