Three Takeaways From Clemson Basketball’s Close Win Over Pittsburgh

The Clemson Tigers defeated the Pittsburgh Panthers by a score of 73-68 at the Petersen Events Center on Saturday afternoon.

Here are some key takeaways from the Tigers’ second ACC win of the season, finishing off their road trip to the north.

Jestin Porter Can Be Clemson’s Closer in Close Conference Games

It’s a physical conference, but the Tigers are seeing plenty of production from graduate student Jestin Porter. Going forward, he may be the point getter that head coach Brad Brownell needs.

Porter finished with 21 points, the first time a player on the roster has finished with a 20-point performance this season. He hit 50% of his three-pointers, being a microwave on offense for this Clemson offense.

The Houston native is a 38.7% shooter from deep so far this season, taking 75 threes over the first 15 games of the season. Head coach Brad Brownell has spoken about his speed before, which could be the key to beginning important Clemson runs over the course of ACC play.

For a Clemson team that is so balanced, it is important to have that closer in close games. In the second half, Porter hit back-to-back threes to put the Tigers up four with about seven minutes to go in the game. That’s the role that former guard Chase Hunter used to play in these types of games.

BACK-TO-BACK TRIPLES👌

JP now has 17 points on the day!

📺The CW pic.twitter.com/MwNwJXjisj
— Clemson Basketball (@ClemsonMBB) January 3, 2026

Now, who will take that position? Porter seems like the best candidate to do so after this performance.

Nick Davidson Off the Bench is Efficient

It’s taken more than a month for forward Nick Davidson to find his role on this Clemson team, and it seems like coming off the bench is the way he can contribute the most.

However, he still is able to put up starter-like numbers, regardless of not being in the starting lineup.

Davidson finished with 14 points and three rebounds in the win, playing 19 minutes. He provides a consistent engine for the rotation when the starting lineup is not fully in the game, especially in a physical conference like the ACC.

In the frontcourt, RJ Godfrey and Carter Welling man the middle, using their physicality in a way that Clemson can establish toughness early. Put in Davidson after, a more-technical forward with a pro touch, and the team can continue to score, regardless of the lineup.

As the Nevada transfer continues to adjust from the Mountain West to the ACC, his offensive production and defensive frame will be needed down the stretch if Clemson wants to play a lot of games in the month of March.

Tigers Will Need to Clean Up Turnovers

On the other hand, Clemson produced a season-high 14 turnovers, losing the turnover margin to the Panthers on Saturday night.

It came from a multitude of things, including playing games under a short period of time, playing in an away environment and Pitt disrupting the team’s rhythm. The Panthers were able to turn the turnovers into 12 points off of turnovers, which helped them hold a one-point halftime lead going into the break.

Before Clemson took off with the win, the Tigers were never really able to string together a big run to pull away, being in a dogfight with a Pitt team looking for a statement win to propel it into the remainder of the season. Over the final eight minutes of the game, Brownell’s team only recorded two, which helped lead to the win, playing its cleanest basketball of the game.

Next up, the Tigers will return home on Wednesday, playing SMU at Littlejohn Coliseum at 9 p.m.