Schieffelin Career High Leads Tigers in 83-68 Triumph over Irish
CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson University men’s basketball used 23 assists and its second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in a single game (5.75:1) in an 83-68 victory over Notre Dame on Wednesday night in Littlejohn Coliseum.
The win was Clemson’s 13th ACC victory by 10 points or more – extending a program record. 13 of the 15 have been by 10 or more points, and two have been by 20 points.
The Tigers (23-5, 15-2 ACC) were led by Ian Schieffelin (Atlanta, Ga./Grayson) and his career-high 24 points. He finished with nine rebounds, three rebounds and two assists.
Viktor Lakhin (Anapa, Russia/CSKA-2/Cincinnati) finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists to go along with two blocked shots. Jaeden Zackery (Salem, Wis./Westosha Central/Boston College) also finished in double-figures with 11.
Clemson opened up a seven-point advantage early in the opening stanza, but Notre Dame stormed back on a 12-4 run to take a lead 22-21. However, the Tigers finished the period on a 20-9 run with a Zackery layup dropping in as the buzzer sounded.
The Tigers would keep the Irish at bay for much of the second half, extending its advantage to a game-high 19 points before cruising to the 83-68 victory.
Jake Heidbreder (Floyds Knobs, Ind./Floyd Central) scored 14 points off the bench, one from tying his season high. He finished 4-for-7 from three with two assists, a rebound and a steal.
Lakhin, Chase Hunter (Atlanta, Ga./Westlake) and Dillon Hunter (Atlanta, Ga./Westlake) all combined for 15 assists and zero turnovers. Five assists each.
Clemson officially defeated all five teams on its schedule this season that were in the top eight of winningest programs in NCAA history (Kentucky, Syracuse, Duke, North Carolina and Notre Dame).
The Tigers also clinched the most wins in the ACC in a single season (15). The previous mark of 14 was set in 2022-23 and tied this season before Clemson defeated Notre Dame.
Notes: Clemson moves to 23-5 this season and 15-2 in the ACC … the 15th ACC win sets 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 13 this season … Clemson’s 23 assists as a team were the second-most in a game this season … Clemson’s assist-to-turnover ratio of 5.75:1 was the second-best in program history for a single game … Head Coach Brad Brownell won his 455th game of his career and his 288th while at Clemson … Clemson is fourth in the ACC since 2017-18 with 87 league victories … Chase Hunter extended his program record of wins at Clemson (106).