Clemson beats Cincy in non-conference finale, ACC play next

GREENVILLE — The phrase “a 22-point lead” has come to hold ominous meaning for Clemson on neutral courts.
That was the Tigers’ second-half advantage over BYU on Dec. 9 in Madison Square Garden, only to have the Cougars storm back for a buzzer-beating 3 to win it.
Twenty-two points was, again, Clemson’s second-half edge, this time on Dec. 21 in Bon Secours Arena in Greenville, in the non-conference finale against Cincinnati. And that lead reduced down, down, down — all the way to one point with 40 seconds left.
But all things did not remain the same in the Tigers’ 68-65 win. For one, this wasn’t exactly a neutral court, just down the road from Clemson, which meant the Tigers had an entire lower bowl filled with orange and white shirts, celebrating any blow they returned.
And there were just enough of those, as Clemson (10-3) didn’t allow — just barely — another second-half collapse to taint an otherwise spotless NCAA Tournament resume. RJ Godfrey muscled home a post bucket with 14 seconds left to push the lead back to three.
Cincinnati answered on the other end to cut it back to one with 10 seconds remaining, and then each side started fouling. Dillon Hunter hit a pair, twice, to assure the Bearcats couldn’t win it with a 3.
And they missed at the buzzer.
It was a relief of an ending to a not totally satisfying non-conference season. Yes, the Tigers missed opportunities to claim the the highest tier of win in the NET algorithm, Quad 1s, against BYU and Alabama in games away from Littlejohn Coliseum. Same with a Quad 2 contest at Georgetown.
But Clemson comes out of non-conference play and into its ACC slate without any “bad” Quad 3 or Quad 4 losses, which a defeat to No. 110 Cincy (7-5) on a neutral floor would have counted among.
There are, nevertheless, concerns as the Tigers look ahead to conference games. Their up-and-down play, especially with healthy leads, would be a dangerous script to keep repeating. Clemson still appears to be searching for go-to scorers in pivotal moments, given this Brad Brownell’s roster is deep but not exactly star-studded.
The Tigers, at No. 36, came into the weekend as the ACC’s seventh-ranked team in the NET, behind No. 4 Duke, No. 15 Louisville, No. 19 North Carolina, No. 29 Virginia, No. 32 N.C. State and No. 35 Miami.
In a conference that’s struggled to get more than a handful of teams in the NCAA Tournament from year to year, there appears to be better depth in the league. But the Tigers will probably need to improve their 1-2 record versus Quad 1 competition to feel better about their chances.
Key stats
Cincy made just two of its first 16 shots, including one its first 10 from 3-point range. Clemson, on the other hand, founds its stroke quickly in The Well; the Tigers hit 11 of their first 18 shots — including seven of their first 10 from deep — to take a 30-5 lead.
Clemson’s ball movement was stellar, registering assists on 10 of its first 11 makes. Through the first half, the Tigers had just two turnovers. They were sloppier in the second half, committing 10 errors.
As cold as the Bearcats were in the first half, they came out scorching in the second. They hit five of their first six shots from 3-point range, which quickly brought a 22-point Clemson lead down to eight.
Next game
ACC play is next for the Tigers, beginning with back-to-back road trips to Syracuse on Dec. 31 and Pittsburgh on Jan. 3.
The conference opener is a Quad 2 contest against the NET No. 95 Orange, but the Panthers are currently outside out of the top 135 at No. 156, which will make that a Quad 3 matchup for the Tigers.