Maybe some of you remember this one...

Mar 22, 2021, 9:48 PM

In the 1989-90 season, the Clemson Tigers boasted one of their best basketball teams in school history. Lead by future NBA mainstays Dale Davis and Elden Campbell, Clemson won 25 games. Under the direction of Cliff Ellis, the Tigers won the ACC regular

season title going 10-4. They didn’t lose a game at Littlejohn the entire season. Their final game there during the season was a huge win over #5 Duke, giving them sole possession of first-place in the ACC. It’s one of the biggest wins in regular season history for the Tigers and had set them on the national stage as dark horse title contenders. The Tigers were bounced in the second round of the ACC tournament, but their impressive regular season and gotten them the credibility to be given a 5 seed in the NCAA tournament’s East region.

The 1990 NCAA Tournament

The 1990 NCAA tournament featured a bevy of storylines. There were the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, led by superstars Larry Johnson and Stacey Augmon trying to win their first title. There was the tragic case of Loyola-Marymount, whose star Hank Geathers died during a game in the West Coast Conference tournament, making a magical run to the Elite 8. And for Clemson fans, there was the story of the most heartbreaking loss in program history.

As a 5 seed, Clemson began the tournament playing 12 seed BYU. In a tight, low-scoring contest, Clemson squeezed out just enough points from leading scorer Elden Campbell (15) and managed to win the game 49-47. In the second round, Clemson matched up with Lasalle. The Explorers were loaded with future NBA players including Doug Overton, Lionel Simmons, and Randy Woods. Lasalle held a 16-point lead at the half and looked to be on their way to the Sweet 16. Down by as many as 19, Clemson clawed its way back and pulled off an incredible 79-75 win. It was the fourth time that season Clemson overcame a double-digit halftime deficit to win a game. The win for Clemson snapped Lasalle’s 22 game winning streak, the longest in the nation.

The Sweet 16

Up next for the Tigers was a regional semifinal matchup with Jim Calhoun’s UConn Huskies. UConn came into the game as the 1 Seed in the East region, ranked #4 in the AP poll. They featured their own handful of future NBA players in Chris Smith, Scott Burrell, and Tate George.

UConn had won 25 regular season games, not to mention the Big East tournament where they knocked off powerhouses Georgetown and Syracuse. Playing Clemson wouldn’t scare the Huskies at all.

Having a 9 point lead at the half, UConn sprinted to take as much as a 19-point lead in the second half. Clemson’s season appeared over. But up until the closing seconds, Clemson had gone on a 25-8 run and taken a 70-69 lead with a second to go. The Tigers were one second away from an Elite 8 matchup with Duke.

A Clemson miss on a free throw with 1.6 seconds left was rebounded by UConn’s Burrell, who immediately called a timeout. The Huskies had one second to make a miracle happen.

Burrell inbounded the ball. Heaving it over the outstretched arms of 6-11 Elden Campbell, Burrell found Tate George 94 feet away down the court. George caught the ball, turned around, and shot a 16-foot jumper.

Nothing. But. Net. UConn wins, 71-70.