Clemson cruises past Florida State in decisive road victory

Dillon Hunter scored a career-best 17 points to lead the Tigers.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Saturday, February 15 2025

The Tigers (21-5, 13-2 ACC) shut down the Seminoles in the Sunshine State 72-46, making it three wins in a row in conference play.

With the win, Clemson records back-to-back wins with a margin of 20 points or more, winning five in a row on the road in ACC play.

Dillon Hunter got the starting nod for the third straight game, and his promotion off the bench has received incredibly positive returns.

Hunter led all scorers in the first half with 12 points, catching fire on the road with back-to-back treys, nearly totaling all of the Tigers’ makes from deep in the first half.

The younger Hunter sibling didn’t stop there, reaching a new career high with 17 points, putting together a massive outing on the road.

Clemson had eight steals in its 20-point thumping of North Carolina, nearly matching that total in half the game time. The Tiger defense initially overwhelmed the Seminoles, creating a claustrophobic feeling in the halfcourt that produced plenty of turnovers.

Totaling seven steals in the first half, Clemson turned those into 14 points on the other end, taking advantage of its high effort on every level.

That kind of hustle was also featured in different elements of the contest. After a missed shot, freshman Del Jones sprinted for a loose ball and collided with the Seminole coaching staff, but the effort was enough to get the ball back for a second chance for points.

Clemson retained the possession, and drained a quick bucket shortly after, which became one instance of 11 second-chance points in the first half.

The Tigers finished with 23 second-chance points and 10 steals, playing a complete game on both sides of the ball that became overwhelming for Florida State to handle.

Viktor Lakhin and Schieffelin combined for 23 points, providing a mismatch inside that made life difficult for the Seminole defense. Clemson outscored Florida State 34-24 in the paint in the decisive victory.

Schieffelin also added two makes from deep, finishing with 14 points on the day.

Chase Hunter was unable to record a basket, yet the Tigers shot close to 50 percent on the day, leading by as much as 27 points on the road.

Chauncey Wiggins again reached double figures, collecting 10 points to close the afternoon.

The Tigers move to 7-2 in NCAA NET metric Quad 2 games, adding a nice boost to their resume. They also move to 13-2 in the ACC, staying within striking distance for first place in the ACC. Duke sits at 13-1, but a loss would launch Clemson ahead of the Blue Devils with the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Clemson will have a week off before returning to the road to face SMU on Saturday, February 22nd, at 4:00 p.m. on the ACC Network.