Schieffelin Double-Double; 20-2 Run Ignites Clemson Comeback Victory
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Clemson University men’s basketball used a 20-2 second half run after trailing Virginia 37-27 to ignite a massive second half comeback and win on the road for the eighth time in league play and the 24th time this season. Clemson is now just one win shy of tying the school record for regular season wins (25, 1986-87).
The 10-point deficit overcome for victory was the largest of the season, topping a nine-point comeback against Duke on Feb. 8. The win for Clemson was also just its second on the road at Virginia since Feb. 7, 2008. The Tigers earned a 67-50 victory over the Cavaliers during the 2021-22 season.
The Tigers (24-5, 16-2 ACC) were led by Ian Schieffelin’s (Atlanta, Ga./Grayson) double-double, who scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds on his birthday.
The win was Clemson’s 14th ACC victory by 10 points or more – extending a program record. 14 of the 16 have been by 10 or more points, and two have been by 20 points.
Jaeden Zackery (Salem, Wis./Westosha Central/Boston College) sparked the long scoring run, that spanned nearly six minutes of game play. Zackery scored 12 points on five made field goals. Viktor Lakhin (Anapa, Russia/CSKA-2/Cincinnati) totaled 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Clemson struggled offensively early in the opening stanza, being held to just 15 points in the game’s opening 10 minutes. The Tigers trailed by as many as eight but were down just five at the break.
Consecutive baskets to start the second half from the Cavaliers pushed their lead to a game-high of 10 points.
Del Jones (Landover, Md./Arizona Compass Prep) was a massive lift off the bench for the Tigers in the second period, playing a huge role in the game changing hands. Jones scored eight points, grabbed two rebounds and added two assists and a steal, while finishing a game-high +20.
The Tigers also extended the school record of wins in the ACC in a single season (16).
The win marked just the seventh time since 1996-97 that Clemson has won a game and made just one or fewer 3-pointers. It’s the first time Clemson has made just one 3-pointer and won since Nov. 24, 2002, against Wofford.
The Tigers return to the court on Wednesday, March 5 when they travel to take on the Eagles of Boston College. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
Notes: Clemson moves to 24-5 this season and 16-2 in the ACC … the 16th ACC win extends a program record for most wins in a single season in the ACC (14 in 2022-23) … the Tigers extended its record of double-digit wins in the ACC to 14 this season … the Tigers won just its second game at Virginia dating back to 2008 (67-50 win in 2021-22) … Head Coach Brad Brownell won his 456th game of his career and his 289th while at Clemson … Clemson is fourth in the ACC since 2017-18 with 88 league victories … Chase Hunter extended his program record of wins at Clemson (107) … with six points Chase Hunter became the eighth 1,700-point scorer in Clemson history (1,702 career points) – he passed Horace Grant and is now tied with PJ Hall for seventh all-time … with his 13 rebounds Ian Schieffelin is now seventh all-time in rebounding (842) passing Jaron Blossomgame and Elden Campbell … Jaeden Zackery garnered one steal in the game and is now just four away from tying for 10th for steals in a single season.