Clemson Falls 70-58 at Virginia TechBLACKSBURG, Va. — The Clemson University men’s basketball team came up empty-handed at Cassell Coliseum on Wednesday. The Tigers fell to Virginia Tech, with the Hokies earning a 70-58 victory. Clemson (15-14, 9-10) shot 35.1 percent from the field, and Virginia Tech (16-14, 7-12) finished with a shooting percentage of 54.2. The Tigers connected on nine 3-pointers and nine free throws and also pulled down 32 rebounds. In addition, Clemson scored 12 points off 16 Virginia Tech turnovers and attained 13 second-chance points. The Hokies registered 24 points in the paint and made 12 treys.Tevin Mack led the Tigers with 12 points and six rebounds. Hunter Tyson notched eight points and five boards, and Clyde Trapp chipped in eight points and three rebounds. Alex Hemenway scored nine points on the night, as he provided Clemson with a boost off the bench by knocking down a trio of 3-pointers. Virginia Tech’s P.J. Horne scored a game-high 17 points.Early on, Clemson excelled from beyond the arc, scoring its first nine points via three 3-balls and taking its largest lead of the contest at 9-2. Hemenway went on to sink 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions, putting Clemson up 17-12. In the first half, the Tigers made six 3-point shots and forced 12 turnovers. The Hokies led 30-25 at the intermission, though. Virginia Tech proceeded to outscore Clemson 40-33 in the second half and ultimately pulled out a 70-58 win.The Tigers will return home to Clemson, S.C., for their regular season finale on Friday, March 6. Clemson is slated to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (15-14, 9-9) at Littlejohn Coliseum. Friday’s tilt is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. and air on ESPN2.Get the latest news on all things Clemson men’s basketball by following us on Twitter (@ClemsonMBB), Facebook (/ClemsonMBB) and Instagram (@clemsonmbb).
POSTGAME QUOTESHead Coach Brad BrownellOpening statement:“I’m disappointed in the way we played. We didn’t play or coach very well. We tried to rally in the second half, but we just didn’t have it. I thought we looked like a tired team. I don’t feel like we competed for the full 40 minutes.”On the keys to the game:“Defensively, there was no energy tonight. We tried to play man-to-man. We tried zone. Physically, we just didn’t compete at the level that you need to play against a team of Virginia Tech’s caliber playing on its home court.”
On Clemson’s impact performers:“Hunter Tyson and Trey Jemison played at tremendous, competitive levels for us.”
