Clemson falls to Memphis in overtime classic

Chase Hunter couldn't make the play late to win it for the ACC Tigers in regulation.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Saturday, December 14 2024

CLEMSON – In a game where an early weekend rise was required for attendance, those who set the alarm were in for quite the show.

If two halves weren’t enough to awaken the crowd, an extra five minutes certainly fit the bill.

In the end, it was Memphis turning Clemson’s late-game efforts into a nightmarish overtime, overcoming the home Tigers, 87-82.

Despite a career day from Viktor Lakhin, Tyrese Hunter’s 23 was enough for the visiting Tigers to claim another close victory over Clemson.

Leading 81-80 with a minute to go in overtime, Chase Hunter strode down the court, with his sibling Dillon wide open in the corner. The older Hunter slung the ball to his younger counterpart, hoping to put a Littlejohn war on ice. They missed the connection and the pass went out of bounds. Memphis answered with a three and led to the finish.

Chase Hunter had the ball with 20 seconds left in regulation and misfired on a deep three at the buzzer to bring overtime.

Memphis Head Coach Penny Hardaway knew what kind of challenge was in store against a team like Clemson. He acknowledged postgame the home Tigers were one of the best teams in the country, and a win like that in non-conference play was "a blessing."

"This is the biggest win of the season," Hardaway said. "To come into this building after this game and come on the road against one of the hottest teams in the country is a blessing."

Memphis' non-conference schedule has featured UConn, Auburn, Michigan State, and Virginia.

It took Clemson over five minutes to record its first basket, stifled by the Memphis defense in the early stages of the first half.

At one point, Brownell’s offense started 4-16 from the field, yet, somehow, his team clawed its way back at every turn.

Facing Kentucky, Clemson's offensive attack was balanced throughout, as Hunter and Schieffelin went a combined 6-28 from the field.

In another non-conference test, Clemson’s stars shined bright in Littlejohn in the losing effort.

Starting with Lakhin, who had his best game in orange, dropped 23 points and 11 rebounds, finding offensive success inside the paint and outside the arc. Despite the early struggle, it was his nine first-half points that put Clemson within one entering the half. He continued that with 14 in the second half and overtime, showing he can be a reliable option alongside Schieffelin and Hunter.

Speaking of that duo, it was not the offensive struggle that fans witnessed against Kentucky. Schieffelin and Hunter combined for 34 points, leading the charge as Clemson attempted to find a way back against the visiting Tigers.

Memphis’ PJ Haggerty was one of Clemson’s points of emphasis throughout the week. The sophomore guard was averaging 23 points through nine games, good for the fifth-best total in the nation.

Against the home Tiger defense, Haggerty was relatively put in check. He scored 12 on Saturday, going way below his usual totals.

The credit for slowing down such a force will land with Jaeden Zackery, assigned to Haggerty the entire afternoon. His on-ball pressure was enough to contain Memphis’ young star, giving Clemson a chance for another win in the process.

In an early season classic, there were 12 lead changes, with Memphis leading for over 33 minutes to Clemson’s 8:41.

The home Tigers started 2-13 from the field, yet finished 30-67 (45%) on the afternoon. Memphis shot over 50 percent on Saturday afternoon, putting together an impressive performance to hold off their home counterpart.

Brad Brownell gave credit to Memphis' shot-making as the visiting Tigers went 12-25 from deep.

"They have some elite shot makers and players," Brownell said. "They can put you on rollerskates for a bit."

Clemson will wrap up its non-conference slate in Columbia, where it will face the Gamecocks on Tuesday, December 17th, at 7:00 p.m. on the SEC Network.

If you ask Brownell, the final game of the Tigers' non-conference slate will tell him a lot about the makeup of this group.

"We are gonna find out what we're made of."