Clemson’s skid continued on Wednesday night, as the No. 21 Tigers fell to Virginia Tech 87-72 for their third consecutive loss, dropping Clemson to 1-3 in conference play.
Clemson (11-4, 1-3 ACC) started hot as it scored the first four points of the game, but that lead ended quickly as Virginia Tech went on a 12-5 run to gain the lead with 16 minutes left in the first half. The Tigers were unable to regain the lead for the rest of the game; their smallest deficit was just three points.
Virginia Tech guard Sean Pedulla was the star of the game and gave the Tigers problems all night, scoring a career-high 32 points on 9-for-16 shooting.
While the Tigers’ shooting, especially their three-point percentage, improved greatly from the North Carolina game, when they went one for 18, their physicality, shooting and discipline were severely outmatched.
The Hokies (10-5, 2-2 ACC) outrebounded the Tigers 35-28, with 26 of those being defensive rebounds, and scored 34 of their 87 points in the paint. They shot 31-of-57 (54.4%) on the floor compared to Clemson’s 28-of-63 (44.4%) and were much better behind the arc as they shot 13-of-24 from three (54.2%) compared to Clemson’s 9-of-26 (34.6%). In terms of the foul battle, Tech won that, too, as it only committed 10 fouls while the Tigers committed 14.
Virginia Tech’s bench made a far more significant contribution than Clemson’s, scoring 39 points compared to the Tigers’ 13.
Although there may not be a lot of positives to take from these last three games, forward Ian Schieffelin has solidified himself as one of them. In Blacksburg, Virginia, the junior finished with 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting, eight rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes.
In the last three games, the 6-foot-8 forward from Loganville, Georgia, has averaged 14 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, 2.3 steals, 1.3 blocks and a 63.2 field goal percentage against some of the best competition in the ACC.
To round out the Tigers’ starting five, guard Joseph Girard III had 12 points, two rebounds, four assists and two steals; star center PJ Hall finished with 11 points, four rebounds and one block. Meanwhile, point guard Chase Hunter finished with nine points, four rebounds and two assists. The promising young forward Chauncey Wiggins had 12 points, three rebounds and one block.
Clemson will return home to face Boston College (10-5) on Saturday at 3 p.m., aiming to mend its hot start to the 2023-24 season.
