Tyson’s Jumper Lifts Clemson over Hokies on Senior Day
CLEMSON, S.C. — Hunter Tyson made Senior Day at Clemson a little extra special for himself, Naz Bohannon, David Collins and Parker Fox, when he hit a jump shot from the foul line with 32 seconds to play.
The shot was clutch, as it helped the Tigers knock off Virginia Tech, 63-59, Saturday at Littlejohn Coliseum. The win marked Clemson’s fourth straight to conclude the regular season.
There is still a chance Tyson could return for one more season due to the NCAA giving student-athletes, who played during the pandemic, an extra year of eligibility. However, Tyson has not made a decision on his future, so there is also the chance his clutch basket could be his last one at Littlejohn.
"It was unreal. Like I said, I am really not sure what the future holds. I need to talk to my family and sit down and pray about it a little more," he said. "But regardless, it was a great way to end the season here in Littlejohn, if that is how it is."
Clemson (16-15, 8-12 ACC) was clinging to a 60-59 lead when Tyson took a pass from Nick Honor at the top of the key. With the Hokies trying to trap Honor, Tyson was left wide open as he dribbled to the foul line and pulled up for the eventual game clinching shot. Chase Hunter later added a foul shot with eight seconds to play to secure the victory.
"We knew that a trap was probably going to come, so we needed to get into three different outlets, three different options for Nick to pass the ball," Tyson said. "So, I was the middle outlet. I was open, turned around, saw I had a lane. So, I took a couple of dribbles and jumped up there and knocked it in."
Tyson finished the game with just five points and had four rebounds. He was just 2-for-7 from the field, but his second shot turned out to be a big one.
"When they start trapping like that, it is hard to cover everybody. So, they, obviously, wanted to cover the rim," Tyson said. "So, when I catch it right there in the middle, usually, that middle guy is who is typically open."
Virginia Tech (19-12, 11-9 ACC) was led by Nahiem Alleyne’s game-high 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting. The Hokies were just 9 of 30 from 3-point range. They made just two 3-pointers in the second half.
The Hokies had won nine of their previous 10 games coming in and were on a three-game win streak before the loss.
PJ Hall led the Tigers with 12 points on 5 of 9 shooting. The sophomore missed the previous three games due to a foot injury that he aggravated at Louisville two weeks ago. He played just 13 minutes and did not start the game. He played in foul trouble the whole afternoon and finished the day with four fouls.
Al-Amir Dawes and Collins scored 10 points for the Tigers.
Key Play: Clemson was clinging to a 60-59 lead when Tyson took a pass from Nick Honor at the top of the key. With the Hokies trying to trap Honor, Tyson was left wide open as he dribbled to the foul line and pulled up for the clinching shot.
"They came and trapped us," Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said. "They trapped us the one time and kind of knew it was coming out of a timeout. I don't know why Nick, I will have to look at the film. I felt that there was somebody open, but he kind of held on to it for a second. He called timeout, which was a good move.
"Then they came at us again. They had a lot of fouls to give. So, I am sure by the time they do all the fouling there is not going to be enough time, maybe. We could run it, right? They are going to have to foul us. So, they went to trap us and make us make a play. And then Hunter, we got the ball in the middle, got it to Hunter and he made a nice pullup right there just inside the foul line. So, it was just a good basketball play."
Player of the Game: Alex Hemenway scored 11 points. He was 4-for-4 from the field, including 3-for-3 from three-point range.
Stat of the game: Clemson’s bench outscored Virginia Tech 41-13.
Injuries: PJ Hall (foot) returned after missing three games.
Odds: While the Tigers are certain to miss the NCAA Tournament, barring winning the ACC Championship, the odds-on favorites to win the tournament is Gonzaga at +400 according to Fanduel.
Up Next: Clemson will play in the ACC Tournament beginning Tuesday from Brooklyn, New York.
