Clemson basketball falls to Notre Dame, misses chance to improve ACC Tournament seeding
CLEMSON – With Jack Clark out because of an illness, Clemson basketball fell to Notre Dame 69-62 Saturday night at the Purcell Pavilion.
The Tigers (20-9, 10-8 ACC) and Fighting Irish (12-17, 7-11) started the game with each of their leading scorers doing what they do best. Clemson’s PJ Hall and Notre Dame’s Markus Burton started the game scoring nine points each.
Clemson built an early seven-point lead, but the Irish battled back with Burton’s offense and his teammates making 3-pointers. The Tigers led 34-31 at halftime with Hall having 16 of Clemson’s 34 points, and Burton responsible for 17 of Notre Dame’s 31.
Both exchanged leads in the second half, but Notre Dame built an eight-point lead with 4:40 remaining in the second half. Tae Davis’s dunk ignited the run that was capped off by Burton’s 3-pointer. The Tigers couldn't battle back, missing crucial baskets that continued their tough shooting night. They tried to mount a comeback in the final minute, but there was not enough time.
Chase Hunter and Joseph Girard III both went scoreless in the first half and combined for 15 points. Hall scored 21 points, and Ian Schieffelin recorded his eighth double-double with 10 points and 14 boards.
This loss has Clemson back tied in fourth place in the ACC. It could have been in sole possession of fourth place in the conference after Wake Forest (18-11, 10-8) lost to Virginia Tech (16-13, 8-10) earlier Saturday.
Here are two takeaways from this huge win and what lies ahead for the Tigers.
No Clark reveals big problems down the stretch
Sophomore Chauncey Wiggins entered the starting lineup Saturday with Clark out, and the Tigers didn't show they needed the graduate student until the final minutes.
Notre Dame's Burton and Davis were too much for Clemson to handle. Chase Hunter guarded Burton, who was held to four points in the second half. The issue came with 6-foot-9 Davis, who scored 18 in the second half. This would have likely been Clark's responsibility, and his veteran defense was missed down the stretch.
Poor 3-point shooting doomed Clemson
The Tigers are a better 3-point shooting team on the road than at home this season but struggled from 3-point range Saturday. They shot 5-for-28. It was their fewest number of 3-pointers made since Jan. 30.
As a result, Clemson focused on getting the ball inside. The Tigers outscored Notre Dame 32-18 in the paint in the first half, but the Irish made five more 3-pointers than them.
Clemson must figure out its 3-point shooting to make a substantial run in the ACC Tournament.
What's next?
Clemson will travel back to Littlejohn Coliseum for its final home game of the season and battle Syracuse (19-10, 10-9) Tuesday. The Tigers will go for the regular-season sweep after defeating the Orange 77-68 at the JMA Wireless Dome on Feb. 10.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson basketball falls 69-62 to Notre Dame
