Late Game Heroics Push No. 20 Clemson Over Stanford

The Cardinal fought hard, but yet again came out behind

Feb 4, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Clemson Tigers guard Jestin Porter (1) defends Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) during the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

In a Wednesday night thriller, the Stanford Cardinal hosted the No. 20 ranked Clemson Tigers in what would be best described as a crucial contest for both teams.

For Stanford, a four-game skid has completely altered their hopes of potentially making the NCAA tournament, and a ranked win would have been a perfect way to build back some of the momentum they'd had barreling toward March Madness.

For Clemson, playing in a tough environment, a place where multiple ranked teams have gone down just this season, could completely alter their own hopes at a deep run in the tournament. A win would further solidify themselves in the national landscape of college basketball.

Clemson ended up on top in a thriller, winning 66-64, with a huge credit to their incredible defensive consistency.

The game started even on both sides, with Clemson holding a close edge. They led 12-8 early, then 21-16. Regardless, it was clear that Stanford wouldn’t just back down in this game. With under a minute left in the half, Stanford took the lead on an Ebuka Okorie three, going into halftime with a two point lead. In order to land a win, Stanford needed to be flawless in the second half.

Stanford built an early six point lead in the second half, but it was diminished by a quick run from the Tigers. Clemson went on a massive run to lead by seven, and it seemed like they would have control for the rest of the game.

But what the Cardinal are known to do at home, is they come back against good basketball teams. Once again, they did just that. Stanford tied it with just a few minutes to go, and kept themselves fighting. Both teams traded buckets late in the contest.

With 1:31 to go, Clemson guard RJ Godfrey missed two straight free throws, including an airball, which completely changed the momentum of the game. With fans getting a free burger with two missed free throws in the second half, it seemed like Shake Shack provided the Cardinal with an unexpected change in momentum from the crowd at Maples.

Neither team was able to score for the next minute, until Nick Davidson got his chance for the Tigers at the charity stripe. The senior hit both, and Clemson led by a pair. On the other end, Okorie missed a three pointer, putting the Tigers at the line once again with a chance to seal it. Ace Buckner made the first, as well as the second, clinching Clemson the win.

A late Okorie layup was not enough in this one.

Stanford was led by Aidan Cammann, who put up a career-high 19 points for the Cardinal in the loss. Okorie had 16 of his own, while Oskar Giltay had 8, as well as 11 rebounds.

Davidson led Clemson in scoring with 16 and added 7 boards. Buckner added 11, including the two game-clinching free throws. Chase Thompson put up an impressive 10 points in just 18 minutes.

Stanford is now on a five-game losing streak, and will have a few days to rest before taking on Georgia Tech this Saturday. Clemson will head up to Berkeley to play Cal, also on Saturday, in a key game for both teams’ seasons.