Clemson Moves to 5-0 in ACC with 75-74 win at Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Clemson University men’s basketball moved to 5-0 in ACC play with a 75-74 victory on the road at Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon.

It matches the best start in ACC play in program history – a 5-0 start in 1996-97. With the win, Clemson also wins back-to-back one possession games in league play and has now won nine-of-its-last-10 contests.

The Tigers (13-3, 5-0 ACC) were led by Chase Hunter (Atlanta, Ga./Westlake) who finished with 17 points. Both Hunter Tyson (Monroe, N.C./Piedmont) and PJ Hall (Spartanburg, S.C./Dorman) each totaled a double-double – the 11th time two Tigers have posted double-doubles in the same game dating back to 2010-11.

Tyson’s double-double was his fourth in a row this season and fifth consecutive in ACC play.

Brevin Galloway (Anderson, S.C./Seneca) was the fourth double-digit scorer for the Tigers, and he finished with 12. Galloway now has double-figures in 11 games this season.

Clemson trailed 40-38 at the break but rebounded in the second half and finished strong to win its fourth game this season when it trailed after the opening stanza.

The Panthers (11-5, 4-1 ACC) built their largest lead of the game, eight points, at 67-59 with 5:35 remaining in regulation. Clemson closed on a 12-2 run to take a 71-69 lead with less than two minutes to go and held on for the victory.

Clemson began the game 7-for-13 at the foul line but finished the game perfect and made its last 11 at the line. During the late run, Chauncey Wiggins (Grayson, Ga./Grayson) added a driving basket to tie the game.

Josh Beadle (Columbia, S.C./Cardinal Newman) added three points, three assists and zero turnovers off the bench. Ben Middlebrooks (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Westminster) finished with six points and three rebounds in 10 minutes.

The Tigers return to the court on Wednesday, Jan. 11 when it hosts Louisville at 9 p.m. The game is set to air on RSN.

Notes: 

• Clemson improved to 13-3 with the win over Pittsburgh moving to 5-0 in the ACC
• Clemson tied a program record winning its first five in league play for the first time since 1996-97
• Clemson improved its winning streak against Pittsburgh to 10
• Head Coach Brad Brownell won his 398th game in his career and is just two victories shy of the 400-win plateau
• Coach Brownell improved to 10-3 all-time against Pittsburgh
• Hunter Tyson totaled his fourth-straight double-double, fifth-straight in ACC play, the seventh of the season and the eighth of his career with 15 points and 10 rebounds
• PJ Hall added his second double-double of the season and fifth of his career with 12 points and 10 rebounds-- it was just the 11th time since 2010-11 that the Tigers have had at least two double-doubles in the same game
• With 10 rebounds in the game, Hunter Tyson eclipsed 500 career rebounds in his career
• Clemson finished 7-for-17 from three (41.2 percent), they are now 7-0 this season when shooting 40.0 percent or better and 89-25 all-time under Head Coach Brad Brownell-- in Clemson history the Tigers are 255-98.