Clemson Wins State Championship with 72-67 Victory over South Carolina

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson University men’s basketball scored 49 points in the second half and finished with five double-digit scorers in a 72-67 win over South Carolina on Wednesday night.

The Tigers (8-0) overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to reclaim the Palmetto Series trophy. It marked the largest halftime deficit overcome to gain victory by Clemson in series history. The previous was five on Feb. 1, 1992 (trailed 25-20 and won 55-52).

Ian Schieffelin (Loganville, Ga./Grayson) was a menace on the glass, posting his second career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Schieffelin was one of five Tigers’ in double-figure scoring. 

Chauncey Wiggins (Grayson, Ga./Grayson) led the way with a career-high 15 points, while PJ Hall (Spartanburg, S.C./Dorman) had 14, Joseph Girard III (Glens Falls, N.Y./Glens Falls) had 12 and Chase Hunter (Atlanta, Ga./Westlake) finished with 10.

Hall finished with a season-high-tying four blocked shots in the contest.

Clemson struggled to score in the opening stanza, trailing South Carolina 30-23 at the break. The Gamecocks (7-1) pushed their lead to a game-high 11 points at 44-33 with 15:02 left in regulation.

The Tigers fought back on multiple occasions, closing to within one point twice, before consecutive 3-pointers from Wiggins put Clemson on top 54-51. The lead would see-saw over the next several minutes of game action, until Clemson would push its advantage to six with less than a minute to go.

Free throw shooting helped carry the Tigers to victory in the final minute of regulation to secure the five-point victory.

The 23 first half points tied a season-low (Davidson, 11/12), but the 49 second half points were the second-most score by the Tigers this season. 

Clemson returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 9 when it faces off against TCU in the Hall of Fame Series Toronto. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. on FS1.