In the final game of the regular season, the Clemson Tigers took care of business on Senior Night against the Virginia Tech Hokies, winning 65-47 at Littlejohn Coliseum.
With the win, the Tigers (26-5, 18-2 ACC) set a program record for the most wins in a regular season. The team also recorded 18 ACC wins, marking another program record. Despite the record, the Tigers finished third in the ACC and will be the No. 3 seed in the ACC Tournament, which will take place next week.
The team used that drive to take care of business through physical, disciplined defense. The Tigers allowed 47 points, the second game this season they have held a team to under 50. The team notched a season-high 23 turnovers, with 14 coming in the first half.
In the first period, Virginia Tech had nearly as many turnovers as shots attempted, scoring 8 of its 17 attempts from the field. Clemson was not only adamant on forcing low-quality shots, but the players were also determined to disrupt even the most routine passes from the Virginia Tech offense.
The first half saw multiple steals from Jake Heidbreder, Chase Hunter and Viktor Lakhin. Lakhin notched 12 points in the period as well, en route to a 16-point performance on 7-for-13 shooting. The Tigers allowed just 20 points in the half, the second-lowest first-half total of the season.
The second half was more of the same, with a stingy defense making up for an inefficient night from the perimeter. The Tigers shot 15% from beyond the arc during the second half but were shadowed by the multiple scoring droughts forced upon the Hokies. Jaeden Zackery dominated the second half on the defensive side of the ball, notching three steals. The transfer guard wrapped up his historic season in Littlejohn with 12 points, four assists and four steals.
While the night was headlined by the seniors, several other players shined as well. Del Jones flashed in his limited 12 minutes of play, with an efficient 8 points. Chauncey Wiggins returned to the starting lineup, and was effective on the glass, grabbing seven rebounds.
Prior to the opening tip, Hunter, Ian Schieffelin, Zackery and Lakhin trotted onto the court for the start of their final game in Littlejohn Coliseum. A visibly tearful Lakhin, moments before the start of the match, encapsulated the emotional nature of the arena.
Players, coaches and fans knew they were watching the end of something special, and while this team is entering an exciting postseason with high expectations, this being the final home game of their collegiate careers clearly carried weight for the seniors on the roster.
Clemson looks to build upon a historic regular season heading into the conference tournament. The Tigers will enjoy their double bye before gearing up to play on March 13 at 9:30 p.m. against either SMU, Syracuse or Florida State.
