GAME THREAD: MBB vs. Clemson ΓÇö ACC tournament

[PonyPride]

Mustangs (23-9) and Tigers (26-5) tip off at 8:30 (Central time) in a game that can be seen on ESPN2.

[PonyPride]

In the first meeting (February 22) between the teams, the Tigers knocked off the Mustangs ΓÇö who were without point guard Boopie Miller ΓÇö 79-69 at Moody Coliseum.



From SMUMustangs.com:

SMU Falls To No. 18 Clemson

DALLAS (AP) -- Jaeden Zackery had 19 points, including a career-best five 3-pointers before halftime, plus six rebounds, seven assists and five steals to help No. 18 Clemson beat SMU 79-69 Saturday.

Chase Hunter added 17 points and Viktor Lakhin had 16 for the Tigers (22-5, 14-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who are tied for second with Louisville and one-game behind Duke.

Chuck Harris scored 16 points, and Matt Cross and B.J. Edwards had 12 each for the Mustangs (20-7, 11-5).

Clemson ended the first half on a 7-2 run after SMU took its only lead of the game at 30-29, then scored the first nine points of the second half. The Tigers' largest lead was 18 points.

The Tigers tied a program record for conference wins set two years ago. They can match or surpass their highest poll position this season, which was No. 16 in mid-December.

Boopie Miller, who leads the team averaging 13.4 points and 5.7 assists per game, missed his third consecutive game with a bruised left foot. A win could have vaulted the Mustangs into the Top 25 for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

Zackery's mid-range miss at the 24-second buzzer early in the second half was rebounded by Lakhin. That led to Hunter's 3-pointer amid the 9-0 run opening the second half. Clemson, 61st in Division I averaging nine 3-pointers per game, matched that total with 6:17 left in the half. The Tigers hit 14, matching their season high, on 29 shots.

[PonyPride]

First time around:

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Clemson starters
G 1 Chase Hunter
G 2 Dillon Hunter
G 11 Jaeden Zackery
F 0 Viktor Lakhin
F 4 Ian Schieffelin

SMU starters
G 0 B.J. Edwards
G 2 Boopie Miller
G 3 Chuck Harris
F 33 Matt Cross
C 24 Samet Yi─ƒito─ƒlu

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Schieffelin posts up Cross to start the scoring, then rebounds Miller's missed floater.

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Yi─ƒito─ƒlu gets his first foul when he plants Chase Hunter on his way to the rim.

Hunter hits 1 of 2 FTs

3-0 Tigers

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Zackery scores on a backdoor cut to make it 5-2

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Traore with nice up-and-under reverse to make it 7-4

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Yes, it's early, but the shooting is tilted toward the Tigers

Clemson: 67% (4/6)
SMU: 33$ (2/6)

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Rebounds

Clemson 4
SMU 1

[HorsePower]

Zackary was great against us last time.
Can't let him get got again

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Yi─ƒito─ƒlu on the board with a dunk off a pass from Cross
9-6

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Viktor Lakhin is 6-11, but the Tigers are relying on Ian Schieffelin (6-8) down low, meaning Yi─ƒito─ƒlu has to chase Lakhin, who is shooting .383 this season from 3-point range, on the perimeter.

[PonyPride]

Tigers have missed last four field goals, lead 10-6

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Harris hits a pair to narrow the gap to 10-8