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Clemson Basketball

No. 20 Clemson ends 8-year drought against No. 19 North Carolina with 82-78 win

January 30, 2018
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CLEMSON -- Before Clemson’s first matchup against North Carolina, Donte Grantham repeated over and over that his team could do anything.

No one said it would be easy once Grantham went down with a season-ending injury two games later, but for the first time in ten games, Clemson has finally beaten North Carolina.

No. 20 Clemson willed its way to an 82-78 victory over No. 19 North Carolina to remain unbeaten at home and continue its remarkable season moving to 18-4 and 7-3 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

It took a valiant effort from everyone who touched the floor tonight for the Tigers, who came into the game short-handed without Grantham and Mark Donnal who is still going through concussion protocol.

Clemson was led by Marcquise Reed on the offensive end with 20 points, and Gabe DeVoe’s 17 were a big part of Clemson’s three-point barrage.

“The team feels good about the way we are playing. I couldn’t be more proud of our guys. I really thought our three perimeter guys played at an elite level.”
- Brad Brownell

After North Carolina clawed its way back from a 16-point second half deficit, Reed hit the go-ahead three-pointer from the wing to give Clemson the lead for good with 1:42 remaining.

“I thought we came out with really good confidence,” coach Brad Brownell said after his first victory over the Tar Heels. “The team feels good about the way we are playing. I couldn’t be more proud of our guys. I really thought our three perimeter guys played at an elite level.”

The trio of Shelton Mitchell, DeVoe, and Reed combined for 51 of Clemson’s 82 points. Elijah Thomas also stepped up with 11 points of his own and six crucial blocks on the defensive end.

But to beat North Carolina, Clemson was going to need its bench players to contribute in a major way. All of Clemson’s bench players played double-digit minutes.

Aamir Simms, Malik William, and Clyde Trapp each made a three-pointer and combined for 15 crucial bench points.

“I think it starts with practice,” DeVoe said of his teammates’ confidence. “We have competitive practices. Just practicing hard just prepares you for moments like these.”

It was clear skies in Clemson this afternoon, but that didn’t stop the torrential downpour of threes that fell for the Tigers.

The Tigers hit 15 shots from the behind the arc, ten of which came in the first half. North Carolina made 15 threes the last time it played Clemson in Chapel Hill. This was the most made three-point attempts for Clemson since Brownell became the head coach.

Coming into the game, North Carolina was second to last in the ACC in three-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot 38 percent. The Tigers’ 50-percent performance from three-point range broke North Carolina for its third straight loss.

“I got no answers, guys,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams said after the game. “I have never re-emphasized something my entire life, but you have to congratulate them. They stepped up and made it.”

“I got no answers, guys,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams said after the game. “I have never re-emphasized something my entire life, but you have to congratulate them. They stepped up and made it.”

North Carolina had no answers to Clemson in the first half as it built a 44-28 halftime lead. Clemson made ten threes while the Tar Heels made only ten field goals.

Kenny Williams got things going for North Carolina with a 4-point play to begin the second half. A quick 8-0 run got the Tar Heels back in the game. Trapp stopped the run with a three-point play and Clemson went on a 7-0 run to answer.

But North Carolina answered right back. This time with a 12-1 run over a four-minute span and it was Johnson again leading the charge. His three-pointer with 12:17 remaining cut Clemson’s lead to 52-48.

The Tar Heels made six consecutive field goals to answer every Clemson attempt to get away. Clemson had a 10-point lead with 5:40 left, but Johnson’s threes and Berry’s clutch plays brought the game back to two points with 3:16 left on the clock.

With 2:44 left, Berry stole the ball and had a breakaway layup that would have tied the game, but the ball tumbled out of bounds. Berry didn’t let that minor error keep him from knotting things up moments later at 74 with just two minutes remaining. Clemson, in the friendly confines of Littlejohn Coliseum, had allowed a 16-point lead slip away.

Cameron Johnson, who had a season-best 21 points and six three-pointers the last time he played Clemson, channeled his inner Wayne Ellington and continued to torch the Tigers.

Johnson finished with a career-high 32 points while Berry, the sensational championship-winning point guard, added 27 points to carry the Tar Heels all the way back.

Enter “The Closer.”

From there, it was Clemson’s Reed who took over the game. On Clemson’s next possession, the cold-blooded guard hit his third three-pointer giving Clemson the 77-74 lead.

From there, it was Clemson’s Reed who took over the game. On Clemson’s next possession, the cold-blooded guard hit his third three-pointer giving Clemson the 77-74 lead. He then climbed the ladder to grab a defensive rebound on North Carolina’s next possession.

After a missed layup by Thomas, DeVoe pulled the biggest offensive rebound of the night. DeVoe passed out to Reed who went to work slashing into the lane and finding Thomas for a reverse layup extending the lead to 79-74.

Reed always seems to make play after play when the second half comes around. He had another 13-point second half tonight, but Brownell was most impressed with the fact that his team is full of playmakers who are capable on any given night.

“You got to have multiple playmakers,” Brownell said. “That’s one of the biggest differences between my team this year. Some years past, we might have had one. This year I think we have multiple guys that can make a big play. At one time, we had five starters who could go for 20 points.”

As Clemson’s playmakers continue to step up, this team continues its run of closing out the close games that plague Brownell a season ago. Clemson was 4-12 last season in games decided by six points or less.

After the win over North Carolina, the Cardiac Cats are 6-1 in games decided by five points or less, which leads the ACC.

Ending the drought against the Tar Heels may all but end Clemson’s drought of not making the NCAA tournament. The conversation may now shift from “will Clemson make the tournament?” to “what seed will Clemson be?”

Clemson takes on Wake Forest Saturday afternoon at 2:00.

 
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