The Clemson Tigers took on the North Carolina Eagles on Friday night in Littlejohn Coliseum. The Tigers defeated the Eagles 71-51. 
The Tigers had trouble defending the three-point line early in the game, similar to their game against the Citadel. Like the Citadel game, though, Clemson regained control of the game quickly. 
All of Clemson’s starters scored in the first half, while Aamir Simms and David Skara lead the Tigers in scoring in the first half with seven points apiece. 
Simms took over the second half of the game as well, finishing with 14 points on 5-8 shooting from the floor and 3-4 shooting from three. Simms’ strong start to the season bodes well for the Tigers as he shoulders the load and responsibilities left behind by Gabe DeVoe, a guard who graduated last May. If Simms blossoms into the star he is beginning to look like, good things may be on the horizon for the Tigers. 
Clemson’s bench had a very strong showing with freshman forward Hunter Tyson and transfer forward Javan White grabbing the spotlight. 
Tyson finished with six points and made an impact by taking a charge and blocking a shot. He seemed to fit into the system well and played a fair amount of minutes with starters Reed, Thomas, Simms and Mitchell. If he continues his productive play, he will likely contend for more playing time and perhaps an eventual starting spot. 
White was just as impressive and racked up seven points while shooting a perfect 3-for-3 from the floor.  The transfer student from Oral Roberts University is paying off dividends for the Tigers. He is panning out as an efficient scorer from the post, a quality rebounder and an outstanding defender. White snagged six rebounds to lead the team and chipped in two blocks and a steal over the course of the Tigers’ victory.
Though there were strong individual rebounding performances throughout the game, the Tigers struggled to rebound as a team, losing the rebounding battle to the Eagles 38-31.
The Tigers compensated for the lack of boards by locking down on defense. Clemson held the Eagles to just 20 points in the first half on 26.7% field goal shooting. The Eagles shot only 33% on the night from the field and 22% from three. 
Clemson’s win pushes them to 2-0 on the young season. The next Clemson game will take place against the Sam Houston State Bearkats on Wednesday, November 14th. The game will tip off at 7:00pm in Littlejohn Coliseum.