Clemson received its first AP poll ranking in almost two months on Monday morning. That night, the No. 23-ranked Tigers dominated the North Carolina Tar Heels, winning 85-65.
With the win, the Tigers complete the three-day gauntlet of the two historical ACC programs, doing so for the first time since the 2019-2020 season. It is also the second time in program history that Clemson has defeated both Duke and North Carolina in back-to-back games at Littlejohn Coliseum — only the 1989-1990 team had done so before tonight.
Against Duke this past weekend, the Tigers only scored four 3-pointers in the win. When head coach Brad Brownell and the team faced the Tar Heels (14-11, 7-6 ACC) on Monday night, the team reached that amount in only 11 minutes, nailing a total of 12 in the win. The team shot over 65% from beyond the arc in the first half, finishing with a 48% from deep.
“Obviously it was a little different tonight, we made a bunch of threes, and that’s why we have got a chance to have a good team is we can beat you in different ways,” head coach Brad Brownell said. “I thought, defensively, we were solid, [we] got better in the middle stretch of the game, and when you shoot the ball like we did, it can be hard for the opponent.”
The beginning of the game was the most competitive, as Clemson (20-5, 12-2 ACC) shared eight lead changes with the Tar Heels in the opening minutes. The team wouldn’t look back, going on multiple runs of 7-0 or more to take over the game. After the last eight minutes, the Tigers used a 25-9 run to take a 16-point halftime lead.
Center Viktor Lakhin stole the show in the opening half for the Tigers, sinking all four of his 3-point attempts for 20 points in the first half, recording two blocks. He would finish with 22 points and five blocks in the win.
“I think I’m playing really good basketball, the best basketball of my whole college career, and part of it, what makes it so good, we’re winning,” Lakhin said after the game. “Obviously, we are winning and it feels just twice better.”
The second half was all about holding the lead, which the team did successfully. Chase Hunter helped grow the lead, scoring 12 points in the second half for a total of 19. The Tigers led by as much as 26 points in the contest.
Jaeden Zackery filled the scoresheet in the second half, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals, serving as a motor for the team while the team retained its lead.
The team would finish with a 50% conversion from the field, making it the second game in a row that the Tigers have done so.
“[I’m] very proud of us, all of us for what we are doing,” Lakhin said. “Obviously, we aren’t done yet, grateful to be a part of something, that’s why we came here last year because of the team success last year, the momentum. We just joined it and kept it going.”
The Tigers will travel to Tallahassee, Florida, this weekend to face the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday at noon.
