In their debut for the 2021-2022 season, the Clemson Tigers defeated Presbyterian 64-53 with an exciting second half comeback. Clemson’s offense was ignited and the defense was turned up a notch in the second half before they stepped back on the court with head coach Brad Brownell.
Paws up: Hunter Tyson and Al-Amir Dawes
Senior forward Hunter Tyson stepped up big time as a leader both offensively and defensively in the first half, scoring 11 of Clemson’s dismal 24 first half points. Though the interior defense was exploited all night long by the impressive Presbyterian backcourt, Hunter Tyson stepped up in the second half defensively helping boost the Tigers past Presbyterian.
Al-Amir Dawes showed himself to be a great exterior shooting threat for the Tigers, shooting four for nine on three-pointers and racking up an impressive 21 points in his junior debut. He played great exterior defense on the taller guards of Presbyterian.
Paws down: PJ Hall
This was a true let down game for PJ Hall. Heavy expectations were put on PJ Hall after an impressive pre-season debut for the sophomore and, against Presbyterian, it felt like he did not show up defensively. Presbyterian dominated Hall at the rim, getting 12 offensive rebounds to Clemson’s four.
Paws up: Perimeter defense
Clemson’s backcourt played fantastic defense all night, limiting Presbyterian to three three-pointers on their 24 attempts. Nick Honor, Al-Amir Dawes and David Collins played phenomenal perimeter defense. Only 15 of Presbyterian’s 53 points were scored outside the paint, and only five in the second half.
Paws down: Interior defense
For as great as the perimeter defense was, the interior defense was brought to its knees until deep into the second half when Hunter Tyson and David Collins stepped up. Only two shots were missed within the paint by the Blue Hose the entire game. They were beaten 12-4 in offensive rebounds by the aggressive Presbyterian rim attack.
Paws up: Second half offense
After the disappointing 24 point first half, Al-Amir Dawes and David Collins took over and had an impressive start straight out of the locker room. The Tigers shot an impressive 14-25 from the field including shooting a spectacular 5-9 from beyond-the-arc and an improved, but still underwhelming, 7-10 from the stripe.
When asked about the difference between the first and second half, Al-Amir Dawes said, “Obviously they punched us in the mouth in the first half, but we fight and keep fighting for the second half and get the dub.”
Paws down: First half offense
The stats speak for themselves with Clemson’s first half offense. In the first half Clemson shot 7-20 in field goals and 7-15 on free throws. They were out rebounded 22-14 and they turned the ball over seven times.
