Clemson basketball win at UNC gives Tigers much-needed momentum for March Madness bid
It took the better part of a century, but the Clemson basketball team may finally have this Chapel Hill thing figured out.
After coming up short against North Carolina in its first 59 trips to the Tar Heels’ lair, Clemson has notched victories in two of its past three visits.
Who would’ve thunk it? Not even Rick Barnes, nor Bill Foster nor Cliff Ellis, to name a few.
If the Tigers’ 79-76 overtime victory in Chapel Hill in 2020 enabled Clemson to exorcise decades worth of demons, Tuesday night’s 80-76 triumph represented the latest purging of a haunting history.
After all, North Carolina has dealt Clemson more losses – 136 at last check – than any other opponent in program history.
Yes, even Duke.
For that reason and plenty more, this latest victory comes as a blessing for Clemson coach Brad Brownell, who in 16 games against the Tar Heels during his tenure counts three two-point defeats, a three-point loss in overtime and a five-point defeat in double overtime.
When Brownell awakens Wednesday morning after a restful night’s sleep, the record will show that his teams have won four of their past seven games against North Carolina regardless of venue.
The victory was remarkable in that the Tigers never trailed after jumping out to a 15-2 lead and at one point in the first half led by 16 points – matching the largest lead ever by Clemson in Chapel Hill (football excluded).
As one might suspect, the Tigers wound up losing that game, 74-72, in 1975.
Tuesday’s win may prove all-important for this team’s psyche. The Tigers had been on the downside of several recent games, including a double-overtime loss to Georgia Tech, a one-point defeat at Duke and another one-point loss against Virginia.
Brownell revealed last week that those results prompted him to focus on his team’s spirit in recent days, which included reassuring his team that they are better than their ACC record, which is still only 5-6 but holds considerably more promise.
Fortunately for the Tigers, a victory against the nation’s No. 3-ranked team on the road could go a long way on a postseason resume. Pair that with earlier victories against the top two teams in the SEC – Alabama on the road and South Carolina at home – as well as wins over likely NCAA Tournament teams Boise State and TCU and one can see why Clemson remains in the March Madness hunt despite its low ACC standing.
BIG WIN: Clemson basketball pulls off stunning upset at No. 3 UNC
Obviously, there’s more work to be done, but rest assured the Tigers feel a lot better about themselves as they head into their final nine league games knowing five of them will be played at home.
If Clemson possessed the mettle to knock off a North Carolina team that had won 12 of its past 13 games, then surely the Tigers can muster enough to finish on a roll in home games against teams such as Miami, NC State, Florida State, Pitt and Syracuse.
Right?
Given the way some games have unfolded this season, rest assured that Brownell is taking nothing for granted.
Scott Keepfer covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at skeepfer@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ScottKeepfer
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson basketball upset win at UNC is NCAA Tournament bid momentum
