The Clemson Tigers defeated the UAB Blazers in a tightly contested game by a score of 77-76 in the Asheville Championship on Friday. Clemson was led by a strong second half and impactful play by some of its star players. Here are the ups and downs from the game:
Paws up: PJ Hall
Senior center PJ Hall had a statement game for the Tigers, as he scored 27 points in addition to grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out two assists. Hall’s efficient play throughout the game helped bring Clemson the win, as he shot 11 of 18 from the field and made two of his four 3-point attempts.
Hall’s defense was also important for the Tigers’ win, as he had three blocks and two steals for Clemson. All three of his blocks and both of his steals came in the second half when Hall proved he is a clutch player and can be a game-changer for the Tigers throughout the season.
Paws up: Second-half heroics
Although Clemson trailed UAB heading into the half, the Tigers were able to have a strong second-half performance, which helped propel them to victory. Clemson was led by Hall, junior forward Ian Schieffelin and senior guard Chase Hunter in the half.
Hall had the most points for the Tigers in the half with 12, while Schieffelin and Hunter added 6 each. However, Schieffelin and Hunter’s late-game heroics led the Tigers to victory.
The Tigers were down by 9 points with under seven minutes left in the half when Schieffelin and Hunter took the game over. A dunk by Schieffelin sparked a 14-0 run for the Tigers, where Schieffelin would score all 6 of his second-half points.
During the same run, Hunter scored 3 points and had two assists for the Tigers, as they went down by 1 point with nine seconds in the game. At that point, Hunter drew a foul and made two free throws to put Clemson up by 1 point and seal the deal for the Tigers.
Paws down: First-half shooting
Clemson’s first half showed a disappointing display of shooting from the team, where they made 14 of 29 shots from the field. Although the Tigers struggled, the Blazers had difficulty converting as well, making 16 of their 32 attempts.
The key difference between the teams in the first half was the three-point efficiency. UAB shot 5 of 12 on 3-point attempts, while Clemson only made one of its 10 attempts from beyond the arc. The Tigers’ 3-point struggles put them down heading into the half, as they trailed 42-39.
