Clemson’s Defense Headlines Another ACC Victory

The Clemson Tigers improved to 18-4 thanks to a stellar defensive effort

See how Clemson's defense played a role in taking down Pitt | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

On a cold winter Saturday afternoon in Clemson, the Tigers held the Pittsburgh Panthers’ offense ice-cold throughout the contest. What was profiled as a high-scoring, fast-paced game (see the teams’ Jan. 3 meeting) turned into a physical, nip-and-tuck game with limited baskets.

Pittsburgh scored just 52 points on the day, including a meager 16 in the first 20 minutes of action. That mark was a season low for the Panthers, who dropped their fourth game in five tries.

“I thought our guards did a pretty good job of mixing when to go under, when to bully, when to do different things in ball-screen coverage,” Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said. “I thought we fought to get back in front. I thought we switched on a few things. We did enough good things to just not let them get into a really good rhythm. But I also thought we were fortunate that Pitt missed a few shots that they had, that they could make, and the game would have been much, much closer.”

Brownell Reaches a Milestone

That tenacious on-ball defense helped the Tigers build a 17-point cushion as the halftime buzzer sounded. Though Pittsburgh outscored Clemson in the second half 36-30, the damage had been done. Brownell’s 200th career win inside Littlejohn Coliseum was in order, as the Tigers captured a 15th straight win over the Panthers.

“I didn’t know that,” Brownell said when asked about the 200th win postgame. “I’m proud of it, obviously. That's a lot of wins, that's a lot of good players, a lot of good assistant coaches that have helped along the way. I’m certainly proud of the longevity and the consistency with which our teams have played.”

Holding Down a Star

Entering play Saturday, Pittsburgh guard Brandin Cummings led his team in scoring, averaging 13.1 points per game. After a 2-point, 1-for-3 shooting game against Clemson’s defense, that figure is sure to drop.

“We just kind of stuck to the [scouting report]” center Nick Davidson said. “I wouldn’t say we did anything in particular [besides that]. Shoutout to the guards, they did a good job.”

Oddly, Pittsburgh played the Midland, PA native just 12 minutes in the contest. That marked the lowest total Cummings has played this season. The game snapped a six-game streak of Cummings playing 25 or more minutes for head coach Jeff Capel.

Buckner Shines on the Defensive End

Brownell highlighted redshirt freshman guard Ace Buckner as a member of the rotation whose defense has continued to be a calling card.

“Ace is a good on-ball defender,” Clemson’s head man said postgame. “He's one of those guys that does a good job fighting over ball screens and competing. We needed that today. I don't think he had a turnover. He had four assists, no turnovers. That's the best thing about the game for him: improving in those decision-making skills. But I thought he played very well and gave us a huge jolt.”

Next up

Clemson looks to maintain that defensive effort when it continues conference action next week. The Tigers hit the road for an intriguing two-game road swing against Stanford and California in the Golden State. Tip-off for the Clemson-Stanford Wednesday night contest is set for 10:00 p.m. ET on ACC Network.