The Clemson men’s basketball team was in a bit of a do-or-die situation on Wednesday night, but a resounding 40-point win may give the Tigers the momentum they need ahead of the season’s final stretch.
Speaking to the media after a 94-54 win against Florida State on Wednesday, Clemson center PJ Hall and guard Chase Hunter were pleased with the victory.
“It is definitely a momentum booster for us,” Hunter said of the win. “I wouldn’t say that we were down these past few weeks, but losing isn’t fun. Getting this win and going to the next game, it’s going to be a big game for us just for our confidence.”
Before Wednesday, the Tigers had suffered a three-game losing streak to Boston College, Miami and North Carolina.
“You never want three losses in a row,” Hall added. “You never want multiple losses or any kind of streak.”
After last Saturday’s disappointing loss to North Carolina, Clemson had three days to prepare, and practices looked a lot different than usual.
“Honestly, the biggest thing is to try to remain more competitive, more one-on-one, two-on-two drills, going back and forth at each other,” Hall said. “Whenever you have two or three days to prepare, you’re going at each other.”
The hard work paid off, as the Tigers’ recent win proved to be historic. Their 40-point win was the largest margin of victory in an ACC game in the program’s history. The win also tied a program record for most in-conference victories, with this being their 11th.
The Spartanburg, South Carolina, native, however, wants more from this season.
“It’s not good enough,” Hall said. “I don’t know what the standings are, but we are not first, and the season is not over. There’s more work to be done, obviously, but it’s nice to know that we are having some stuff go our way.”
Hall led all scorers in the game, pouring in 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting. Hunter followed, adding 18 points of his own and six assists. After suffering a foot injury in January, the guard had his bounce back game after recent struggles during Clemson’s three-game skid.
“When things aren’t going good, just work hard,” Hunter said. “It definitely paid off tonight.”
The two will be back in action on Saturday as Clemson travels to take on Louisville at 7 p.m. EST.
