Florida State Sinks 15 3-pointers, Defeats Clemson

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –  In an ACC battle defined by 3-pointers, the Clemson University men's basketball team lost to the No. 17/19 Florida State Seminoles on Sunday. The Tigers connected on nine treys at the Donald L. Tucker Center, but the Seminoles sank 15 3-balls of their own en route to winning 72-53.

Clemson (5-4, 0-2) went 9-for-27 from deep, and Florida State (8-2, 1-1) went 15-for-32 on shots from beyond the arc. Turnovers were integral in the contest, too, with the Seminoles and the Tigers suffering 13 and 18 turnovers, respectively. The Tigers scored 12 points off turnovers and recorded an overall shooting percentage of 35.8. However, the Seminoles were 46.3 percent on shots from the floor, and they pulled away from Clemson in the second half.

Tevin Mack manned the Tigers with 14 points, as he went 5-of-10 from the field and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers. Al-Amir Dawes added 13 points for Clemson, with 11 of his points coming in the first half. Aamir Simms registered eight points and four rebounds down low for Clemson. Three different Seminoles scored in double figures, including Devin Vassell, who led all scorers with 14 points.

The Tigers took a 6-point lead into halftime after shooting 46.2 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes of action. Clemson went 6-of-13 on 3-point shots and led by as many as eight points in the opening half. Simms drained a 3-ball as time expired in the first half, placing the Tigers ahead 33-27 at the intermission. The Seminoles came alive in the second half, though, connecting on 11 3-pointers and winning 72-53 in the end.

Following a weeklong layoff, Clemson will return to action against the rival South Carolina Gamecocks (6-4) on Sunday, Dec. 15., at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C. The Palmetto Series matchup will tip off at 5 p.m. and is slated to be broadcast on ESPN2.