After a heartbreaking loss on the road to No. 7 Duke last weekend, Clemson men’s basketball was eager to move on to their next conference matchup as they fight to reach .500 in ACC play. With the help of star center PJ Hall and guard Chase Hunter on Tuesday, the team moved to 14-6 (4-5 ACC) with a 70-64 win over Louisville.
“Our message the whole week was like, yeah, it (the loss) hurt; it sucked. You can feel bad for yourself, listen to the outside noise that’s telling you whatever you want to hear, or you can grow up and get ready for the next game,” Hall said after the win.
“I think it was huge for us,” Hunter added. “We needed that momentum going into Saturday. We’re playing a good Virginia team. We didn’t finish like we wanted to, but we got the win, so that’s all that matters.”
Hunter was all about winning big on Tuesday night, as he eclipsed 1,000 career points in his fifth season at Clemson.
“Scoring 1,000 points is something that not a lot of people do, so I’m definitely honored to be a 1,000-point scorer,” he said.
Hall spoke highly of his point guard’s accomplishment and the perseverance he has.
“Chase is one of the most mentally strong people on this team for the last five years,” Hall said. “People don’t know about the injuries and all the stuff he’s fought through to get where he’s at right now. One thousand points is a huge margin for him; that’s awesome.”
With his 25-point performance, Hall had a career night of his own as he moved into 15th place on Clemson’s all-time scoring list with 1,441 career points.
“He’s a stud,” head coach Brad Brownell said. “He’s a first-team All-Conference player. We’re trying to go to him when we can. Most of the time, he delivers. That’s why he’s good; he makes plays at crunch time. He makes plays when you need them. He wants the ball. He’s an outstanding player, and I’m lucky to coach him.”
Brownell also dished on Hunter’s accomplishment.
“I’m really happy for (Hunter),” he said. “He’s had a lot going on. He’s a new father; he just had a baby. He’s really beaming from that, which I think is really cool, but I think he’s played well these past couple weeks.”
Brownell and the Tigers look to win their second game in a row for the first time since the new year when they host the Virginia Cavaliers at Littlejohn Coliseum this Saturday, with tipoff set for 2 p.m.
