Florida State had a late charge on Wednesday night, but Clemson was able to show poise and close the game out to take a 75-69 home win. The Tigers got off to a hot start playing in front of an energized home crowd at Littlejohn Coliseum. The Tigers put up 45 1st half points and led 45-36 at the half.
Florida State would cut the Clemson lead to just one in closing minutes. However, Clemson responded making plays late in the game to close out the Seminoles. The free throw line was a big part of Clemson's ability to close the game out , as the Tigers went 15 for 21 at the line on the night and 4 of 6 down the stretch.
It was a balanced offensive performance for Clemson, as four Tigers were in double figures and 6 had 9 or more points. Dorman product P.J. Hall had a team high 15 points and 7 boards. Chase Hunter and Nick Honor both added 12 each, Naz Bohannon added 11, David Collins had 9 points and 8 boards, and Alex Hemenway added 9 as well.
Florida State has some regional flavor as well. Asheville native Caleb Mills led FSU with 16 points and Christ Church standout John Butler added 9. Rayquan Evans was just the 2nd Seminole in double figures with 11.
Clemson had a shooting advantage on the night, hitting 52% of their shots overall and connected on 40% from long distance. FSU shot 48% from the floor and just 32% from 3-point range. Clemson had a 10-5 advantage on the offensive glass and had 15 assists on 27 made field goals. The Tigers did have some issues with ball security, as they were -5 in turnover margin, turning it over 14 times to FSU's 9.
Clemson Forward Hunter Tyson left the game early with an upper arm injury. An announcement is expected today (Thursday) on the severity of his injury. The Tigers are back in action Saturday in Atlanta taking on Georgia Tech, that game is set for a 2 PM tip off.
