Clemson Knocks Off NC State 74-70 in Overtime
Nick Honor just continues to make plays for Brad Brownell and the Clemson basketball team.
Honor had a team-high 21 points as the No. 19 Tigers (9-1, 3-1) knocked off NC State 74-70 in overtime on Tuesday night in Littlejohn Coliseum, handing the Wolfpack their first ACC loss of the season.
Honor's three-point shot with 38.3 seconds left tied the game at 62 apiece and sent the game in the overtime period. It was the first time the Tigers had not trailed since midway in the first half when the score was tied at 20.
"Coach always preaches to us how things won't always be like unicorns and rainbows throughout the game," Honor said. "Good days and bad days. But Coach always says your energy and effort is non-negotiable, so just want to just follow on with that from practice and in preaching it every day."
After a sluggish start in which the shots just weren't falling, Clemson went into halftime trailing 39-32. However, they found their rhythm in the second half and Brownell says he liked what he saw out of his team in that second half.
"We obviously talked about it at halftime and I thought our players, you know, played much more inspired," Brownell said. "Certainly Nick honor, making some shots I think really loosened us up. Give my guys a lot of credit down the stretch, I thought we played really well."
Clyde Trapp pitched in with 11 points, and Aamir Simms and P.J. Hall both scored 8 points each.
The Tigers shot 45% from the field, including 33% from three. The Clemson bench also outscored the NC State bench 36-27.
D.J. Funderburk led the Wolfpack with 20 points as NC State now fall to 6-2 on the season and 2-1 in ACC play.
Key Play: Honor's 3-point shot, off an assist from Simms, with 38.3 seconds left that tied the game 62 apiece.
Player of the Game: Honor not only had a team-high 21 points, but he also added 3 assists and 3 rebounds. He shot 8-11 from the floor and 5-6 from beyond the arc.
Freshman Impact: P.J. Hall scored 8 points on 4-7 shooting and also hit the Tigers final shot, a little jump-hook, that extended the lead to four.
"I know that anyone on our team is able to take those close shots," Hall Said. "So whenever the ball's in my hands, the freshman, I know that everyone on the team has confidence, and it definitely gave me confidence too."
Injury Report: The Tigers were once again without forward Hunter Tyson. Brownell is hopeful that he can be back for the trip to Chapel Hill.
Up Next: Clemson will now hit the road for a trip to Chapel Hill for a 7 p.m. matchup with North Carolina on Saturday. After getting their first ever road win against the Tar Heels last season, the Tigers are now hoping they can make it two in a row in the building they've had so much trouble in.