Tyson’s Career Night Lifts Clemson Past NC State 78-64 on Friday
CLEMSON, S.C. – Hunter Tyson (Monroe, N.C./Piedmont) posted a historic night for Clemson University men’s basketball in a 78-64 win over NC State on Friday in Littlejohn Coliseum.
Tyson led all scorers with a career-high 31 points and career-best 15 rebounds. He became the first player in Clemson history since Horace Grant to post at least 30 and 15 in a game. Grant last did it against Wake Forest on Feb. 18, 1987 (33 points and 20 rebounds).
The Tigers (11-3, 3-0 ACC) were led by Tyson, but Ben Middlebrooks (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Westminster Academy) tallied 10 points and seven rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. It was a career-high point total for Middlebrooks.
Chase Hunter (Atlanta, Ga./Westlake) rounded out the Tiger double-digit scorers with 12 and finished with three assists.
Clemson won what felt more like a boxing match in the opening stanza, 28-21, and finished the half on an 8-3 run. The Wolfpack (11-4, 1-3 ACC) would cut their deficit to just five at 66-61 with 2:48 to play.
A 12-0 Clemson run ensued to put the game out of reach for good and the Tigers held on for a 14-point win.
Clemson finished 22-for-24 at the foul line and assisted on 13-of-25 made baskets.
The Tigers will return to the court on Wednesday, Jan. 4 when they travel to Virginia Tech. The game is slated for a 9 p.m. tip from Cassell Coliseum.
Notes:
- Clemson improved to 11-3 with the win over NC State
- The Tigers moved to 3-0 in the ACC
- Clemson improved its mark against NC State at home to 37-33
- Head Coach Brad Brownell won his 396th game in his career and is just four victories shy of the 400-win plateau
- Coach Brownell improved to 12-10 all-time against NC State
- Hunter Tyson scored a career-high 31 points and added a career-best 15 rebounds
- Tyson is the first Tiger to total at least 30 and 15 since Horace Grant on Feb. 18, 1987 (33 and 20 against Wake Forest) and only the fourth time a Tiger player has done it (Horace Grant twice and Randy Mahaffey once).