Clemson Earns Season-Opening win Behind Dawes’ 21 points; Tyson, Collins Add 14 Each

CLEMSON, S.C. – The Clemson men’s basketball team kicked off the 2021-22 season in the win column with a dominant second-half finish to push past Presbyterian on Tuesday night. Seven different Tigers scored in their 64-53 triumph in Littlejohn Coliseum. 

Clemson (1-0) shot 46.7 percent from the floor and connected on eight shots from beyond the arc. The Blue Hose finished 35.6 percent from the floor and made three treys. The Tigers benefited from 11 fast break points and recorded 22 points in the paint.

Dawes led all scorers with 21 points, 16 of which came in the second half. The sophomore knocked down four 3-pointers and was 3-for-3 at the free throw line. Hunter Tyson and David Collins scored 14 points apiece. Tyson added seven rebounds and knocked down a pair of three-balls. PJ Hall finished with six points and a game-high eight rebounds. Presbyterian’s Rayshon Harrison and Brandon Younger tallied 12 points each.

Trailing 32-24 at the break, Clemson turned it on in the second stanza. After trailing 38-28 with 17:04 remaining, the Tigers engineered a 13-1 run to take a two-point advantage in barely two minutes of game play.

After Presbyterian retook the lead at 44-43, Clemson again imposed its will and constructed an overpowering 18-2 run to put the game out of reach for good. The Tigers would lead by as many as 16 late in the second half and would win by 11.

Clemson will host Wofford (1-0) at Littlejohn Coliseum on Friday, Nov 12. The contest will tipoff at 7 p.m. and air on ACCNX.