Clemson Wins State Championship with 72-67 Victory over South Carolina
Five score in double-figures; Chauncey Wiggins nets career-high; Ian Schieffelin totals double-double
CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson University men’s basketball scored 49 points in the second half and finished with five double-digit scorers in a 72-67 win over South Carolina on Wednesday night.
The Tigers (8-0) overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to reclaim the Palmetto Series trophy. It marked the largest halftime deficit overcome to gain victory by Clemson in series history. The previous was five on Feb. 1, 1992 (trailed 25-20 and won 55-52).
Ian Schieffelin (Loganville, Ga./Grayson) was a menace on the glass, posting his second career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Schieffelin was one of five Tigers’ in double-figure scoring.
Chauncey Wiggins (Grayson, Ga./Grayson) led the way with a career-high 15 points, while PJ Hall (Spartanburg, S.C./Dorman) had 14, Joseph Girard III (Glens Falls, N.Y./Glens Falls) had 12 and Chase Hunter (Atlanta, Ga./Westlake) finished with 10.
Hall finished with a season-high-tying four blocked shots in the contest.
Clemson struggled to score in the opening stanza, trailing South Carolina 30-23 at the break. The Gamecocks (7-1) pushed their lead to a game-high 11 points at 44-33 with 15:02 left in regulation.
The Tigers fought back on multiple occasions, closing to within one point twice, before consecutive 3-pointers from Wiggins put Clemson on top 54-51. The lead would see-saw over the next several minutes of game action, until Clemson would push its advantage to six with less than a minute to go.
Free throw shooting helped carry the Tigers to victory in the final minute of regulation to secure the five-point victory.
The 23 first half points tied a season-low (Davidson, 11/12), but the 49 second half points were the second-most score by the Tigers this season.
Clemson returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 9 when it faces off against TCU in the Hall of Fame Series Toronto. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. on FS1.
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Notes: Clemson moved to 8-0 on the season … Clemson moved to 10-8 against South Carolina in games that either team has been nationally ranked … Clemson moved to 13-3 in its last 16 games against the SEC … the Tigers won their fifth game in seven tries against the rival Gamecocks … Head Coach Brad Brownell moved to 7-6 all-time against South Carolina … PJ Hall produced his 19th-straight double-digit scoring game dating back to the 2022-23 season … Hall tied his season high with four blocked shots … Hall now has 1,207 career points (28th all-time) … Joseph Girard III tied Rodney Moore (NC State) on the ACC’s all-time 3-point list with 322 career threes … Chauncey Wiggins set a new career-high with 15 points … Ian Schieffelin totaled his second career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds … Schieffelin now has 43 rebounds in his last three games.
