Clemson basketball vs. North Carolina: Score prediction, scouting report for ACC game
It was another crushing one-point loss for Clemson basketball in its 66-65 loss to Virginia on Saturday. The Tigers are 0-3 in one-possession games in ACC play this season and have a tall task to overcome Tuesday when they face No. 3-ranked North Carolina at the Dean Smith Center.
"At this point of the season, it's time to bear down," Clemson center PJ Hall said. "Coach said, 'Keep chopping wood.' There's no reason to give in."
North Carolina is undefeated at home this season (10-0) and has won 11 of its last 12 games. Clemson faced UNC on Jan. 6, with the Tar Heels winning 65-55 at Littlejohn Coliseum.
Clemson (14-7, 4-6 ACC) comes into the rematch Tuesday (7 p.m., ESPN) in 11th place in the ACC; North Carolina (18-4, 10-1) is first.
Here are three things to know and a score prediction:
Can Clemson finish in close conference games?
Clemson's loss to Virginia brought back nightmares of previous games in which the Tigers could not win in crunch time. In January, the Tigers lost by one point to Duke and by three in double overtime to Georgia Tech.
"We've lost three games - one in double overtime and two in the last second," coach Brad Brownell said. "The emotional drain, I've talked about it, is real."
The last time the Tigers faced North Carolina, Clemson cut its deficit to three with a little over five minutes in the game. But the Tar Heels went on a 7-0 run to seal the win. If the rematch goes down to the wire again, can Clemson deliver in the final moments?
North Carolina has the highest-scoring offense in the ACC
The Tar Heels average 83.1 points per game. Their leading scorer, guard RJ Davis, averages 21.3 points, which leads the conference. North Carolina also leads the ACC in field-goal attempts with 1,383, thanks to its ability to dominate the glass.
The Tar Heels have the most rebounds (908) and offensive rebounds (271) in the conference. Forwards Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram are among the top five rebounders in the ACC. Bacot has logged the most with 218, and Ingram is fourth with 198. Clemson has to deny second-chance opportunities to limit North Carolina's scoring.
More: Clemson basketball loss to Virginia pushes Tigers farther from NCAA Tournament with UNC next
Clemson must find its 3-point shooting
Although shooting from deep at home has been a problem for the Tigers, they have shown they can shoot from three in away games. In road conference play, they average nine made 3-pointers. North Carolina allows the lowest 3-point field goal percentage in ACC play (26.8%), but Clemson has the shooters — Hall, Joseph Girard III, Ian Schieffelin and Chauncey Wiggins — to disrupt the Tar Heels' defense.
"You just got to keep shooting the ball and know and trust your gut that we can shoot like that," Hall said.
Clemson vs. North Carolina prediction
North Carolina 85, Clemson 77: Clemson has run into teams that are hitting their stride lately, and North Carolina is another example. The Tar Heels are coming off an impressive home win against Duke and have won the previous three matchups against the Tigers. No upset in this one.
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 score prediction vs. North Carolina in ACC game
