CLEMSON BASKETBALL

Tigers rout Delaware St, 76-41

Tigers rout Delaware St, 76-41


by - Senior Writer -

Brad Brownell post-game press conference (mp3 Format)

Jerai Grant post-game press conference (mp3 Format)

CLEMSON – Starting or coming off the bench doesn’t matter to Jerai Grant – the senior from Bowie, Maryland is on a roll.

Grant started for the first time in three games and scored 15 points, dished out five assists and contributed a block and the Clemson Tigers scored the most points in a game since the opening game of the season in a 76-41 rout of Delaware St. in front of 7,523 fans at Littlejohn Coliseum Monday night.

“This was a really good win for our guys,” Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said. “I thought we played efficient basketball. I talked to the team about playing with basketball sureness tonight. Making that extra pass and sharing the ball. We were facing a team that plays a lot of different defenses and they try to get you out of rhythm. We showed good poise to get ourselves in good position to score, and because of that we got good shots and scored.”

Grant has scored his four highest point totals of the season in the last four games. He came off the bench against Savannah St. (15 points), UNC Greensboro (19 points) and College of Charleston (15 points) before getting the Monday night start.

The Hornets (4-7) proved little competition for the Tigers (9-4) past the midway point of the first half, despite coming off of a game in which they lost in the final seconds to N.C. State in Raleigh. The 41 points was the lowest point total of the season for the Hornets.

The victory was the fourth consecutive for Clemson heading into Wednesday night’s home game against East Carolina.

The Tigers came out blazing in the first half, hitting 5-of-11 shots from 3-point range and 16-of-31 shots overall. Clemson jumped out to an early lead and led 12-11 before going on a 28-8 run over the final 11:46 of the half.

Included in that run was one stretch that saw Grant dominate on the inside as the Tigers ran off 17 consecutive points in one five-minute span. The streak started with a 3-pointer by Andre Young, and 20 seconds later Tanner Smith drilled another trey from the top of the key to expand the lead to 18-11.

With the Tigers raining three-pointers, the Delaware St. defense extended to the perimeter, and the Tigers were able to start utilizing their size inside. From that point on, Bryan Narcisse scored six of the next 10 points and Grant added four of his own as the Tigers eventually led 29-11 before the Hornets ended the run on a dunk by Marques Oliver.

Demontez Stitt scored 11 points and three other Tigers had six points apiece as Clemson led 40-19 at the break.

“I think we showed better basketball understanding out there tonight,” Brownell said. “We were patient and took what the defense gave us early. We had some wide open threes, we got good shots and we hit a high percentage of them. That then stretched the defense and we did a good job of finding Jerai inside. Jerai was unselfish, and he finished plays where he was 1-on-1, and when he was trapped he found guys cutting to the basket. It was good to see him get a lot of touches. We are depending on him.”

The second half saw no drama and most Tiger starters were out of the game by the time Narcisse scored on a soaring dunk to put the Tigers up 72-36 – Clemson’s largest margin of the contest - with 4:30 remaining in the contest.

Grant said it doesn’t matter to him whether he starts or comes off the bench; Brownell is going to get the same effort either way.

“It doesn’t even matter to me,” Grant said. “I am going to play the same amount of minutes, so it is just whatever helps the team in whatever way. If I need to sit to give Milt [Jennings] some confidence starting or if I need to start, then I am for whatever the coach tells me.

“It feels good to be needed. I hate letting people down and letting my teammates down. I am not doing anything different [in the past four games], it is just me kind of maturing into a leadership role and doing whatever I need to do to help my team win.”

Freshman guard Corey Stanton dressed but did not play. Brownell said Stanton, who is from Tennessee, arrived back on campus Monday. He was late due to the snow storm that pounded part of the East Coast, and Brownell said he felt like the freshman hadn’t practiced so he shouldn’t play.


VISITORS: Delaware State 4-7

TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS

## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN

21 Stowe, Terron....... f 2-3 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 2 4 0 0 1 0 13

32 Oliver, Marques..... f 2-7 0-0 0-2 1 2 3 3 4 0 3 2 1 24

04 Threatt, Jay........ g 4-7 0-2 0-0 0 2 2 2 8 5 4 0 3 30

05 Washington, Desi.... g 2-8 2-6 2-2 0 2 2 0 8 1 1 0 1 22

22 Walker, Casey....... g 1-6 0-4 0-0 0 6 6 1 2 0 2 0 0 22

00 Wilson, Chad........ 1-4 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 7

01 Welcher, Trevor..... 2-3 1-2 0-0 1 0 1 2 5 2 1 0 0 21

02 Joyner, Jabari...... 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 8

10 Lott, Lewis......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

11 Odd, Alibaba........ 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 1 2 1 0 11

13 Baylor, Brandon..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7

20 Oliver, Brandon..... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6

23 Hurrington, C....... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 8

30 Lawson, Jordan...... 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 11

33 Marcellus, James.... 1-1 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 3 2 1 1 1 0 9

TEAM................ 2 2

Totals.............. 18-47 3-15 2-4 5 15 20 16 41 10 15 6 6 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 8-26 30.8% 2nd Half: 10-21 47.6% Game: 38.3% DEADB

3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-10 10.0% 2nd Half: 2-5 40.0% Game: 20.0% REBS

F Throw % 1st Half: 2-4 50.0% 2nd Half: 0-0 0.0% Game: 50.0% 1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOME TEAM: Clemson 9-4

TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS

## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN

31 Booker, Devin....... f 4-4 0-0 1-2 2 4 6 4 9 0 1 0 1 20

45 Grant, Jerai........ f 7-9 0-0 1-2 1 1 2 0 15 5 0 1 2 22

02 Stitt, Demontez..... g 4-6 3-4 0-0 1 5 6 2 11 4 1 0 2 23

05 Smith, Tanner....... g 3-8 1-3 3-3 0 2 2 0 10 3 2 1 1 27

11 Young, Andre........ g 2-4 1-3 0-0 0 2 2 1 5 4 1 0 1 27

03 Anderson, Zavier.... 1-3 0-0 1-3 0 1 1 1 3 2 2 0 0 23

04 Baize, Jonah........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 7

10 Baciu, Catalin...... 1-3 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 0 2 0 0 1 0 6

21 Narcisse, Bryan..... 4-7 0-3 2-2 0 0 0 1 10 0 0 1 1 22

24 Jennings, Milton.... 4-9 1-3 2-2 2 7 9 3 11 2 2 0 2 23

TEAM................ 3 2 5

Totals.............. 30-53 6-16 10-14 10 25 35 12 76 20 10 4 10 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 16-31 51.6% 2nd Half: 14-22 63.6% Game: 56.6% DEADB

3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 5-11 45.5% 2nd Half: 1-5 20.0% Game: 37.5% REBS

F Throw % 1st Half: 3-4 75.0% 2nd Half: 7-10 70.0% Game: 71.4% 2

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Officials: Brian Dorsey, Jeff Nichols, Bill Covington

Technical fouls: Delaware State-None. Clemson-None.

Attendance: 7523

Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total

Delaware State................ 19 22 - 41

Clemson....................... 40 36 - 76

Points in the paint-DESUM 20,CU 46. Points off turnovers-DESUM 7,CU 28.

2nd chance points-DESUM 6,CU 17. Fast break points-DESUM 2,CU 10.

Bench points-DESUM 15,CU 26. Score tied-0 times. Lead changed-2 times.

Last FG-DESUM 2nd-01:40, CU 2nd-02:01.

Largest lead-DESUM by 1 1st-19:26, CU by 36 2nd-07:14.

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