Morehead State stuns cold-shooting Clemson in NIT opener

Clemson finished 23-11 after a first round NIT loss to Morehead State. (Clemson athletics photo)

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Mar 15 20:16:18 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON – Another year, another early exit for a highly-seeded Clemson team in the National Invitation Tournament.

No. 8 seed Morehead State overcame an early 15-point deficit and Clemson went on too many scoring droughts as the Eagles walked into Littlejohn Coliseum and escaped with a 68-64 victory over the top-seeded Tigers Wednesday night in the first round of the NIT.

Chase Hunter led Clemson with 18 points, while PJ Hall scored all 13 of his points in the second half. Clemson was just 6-of-28 from 3-point range, and seniors Hunter Tyson and Brevin Galloway were a combined 2-of-17. Clemson was just 1-of-11 from beyond the arc in the second half. The Tigers also hit just 8-of-14 free throws. Morehead St. hit 15-of-16 free throws and finished with 40 rebounds, the same as the Tigers.

Clemson is now just 1-3 in its last three NIT home games, including letting a 19-point lead evaporate in loss to Oakland in 2018. Clemson defeated Wright St. at home in 2019 but was beaten by Wichita St. in the second round.

Clemson was left out of the NCAA Tournament due to Quadrant 3 and 4 losses, and ends the season at home with a Q4 loss. The Tigers lost Q4 games at home (Morehead St.), away (Louisville) and at a neutral site (Loyola-Chicago).

Clemson finishes the season with a 23-11 overall record, while Morehead St. improves to 22-11 overall. Morehead St. will now head to UAB for the second round, either Saturday or Sunday. The fourth-seeded TrailBlazers defeated Southern Miss 88-60 Tuesday night. The Blazers had four players score in double figures, led by forward KJ Buffen’s 26.

The first half was a half of scoring droughts, runs, and shifting momentum. The Tigers were hot out of the opening tip, scoring the first 10 points of the game. Tyson and Chase Hunter each hit 3-pointers to start the scoring, and Tyson followed that with a layup and Ian Schieffelin added a jumper for the 10-0 lead just a little over two minutes into the contest.

The Eagles stayed close over the next ten minutes or so, but when Josh Beadle hit a 3-pointer, stole a pass and turned that into a basket the Tigers led 29-14 with 8:29 to play in the half.

It was the Tigers’ turn to go cold at that point and the Eagles scored the next eight points over a 3-minute span to make it 29-22 with just over five minutes to play in the half. Two minutes later, Chauncey Wiggins hit a 3-pointer to make it 34-24, but the Eagles scored the final eight points of the half, including a layup with a four seconds remaining, and the Tigers led 34-22 at the break. Clemson made just one field goal over the final 8:29 of the half.

Neither team was able to establish momentum through much of the second half. The Tigers led by seven points twice through the first four minutes, the last at 46-39 on a dunk by PJ Hall. However, the Tigers would score just eight points over the next ten minutes and the Eagles were able to hang around.

Hall made a short jumper with 4:57 remaining to break a 52-52 tie and put the Tigers up 54-52, but the Eagles’ Drew Thelwell nailed a 3-pointer and Morehead St. had its first lead of the game at 55-54 with 4:37 remaining.

Chase Hunter hit a free throw to tie the score at 55-55, but Freeman stroked a long three-pointer barely 15 seconds later to put Morehead St. up 58-55 with just under four minutes to play. The Eagles pushed the lead to 62-55 with 1:35 to play, but Schieffelin kept the Tigers in the game by hitting just his ninth 3-pointer of the season to make it 62-58 with 1:22 to play.

Freeman then missed a jumper and Hall grabbed the rebound, and Chase Hunter hit a jumper from the elbow that made it 62-60 with just 43 seconds left on the clock. Morehead St. called a timeout, and then Alex Gross hit a layup with just 16 seconds remaining to put the Eagles ahead 64-60. Freeman then fouled Hunter, who hit both free throws to make it 64-62 with 10.7 seconds left on the clock.

Freeman hit four three throws in the final eight seconds as Morehead St. advances.