No. 1 Duke pulls away with big second half over Clemson |
| - Saturday, January 5, 2019, 11:20 PM |
A close contest for much of the first half spiraled out of control for Clemson at No. 1 Duke Saturday, falling 87-68 in the ACC opener.
Clemson led with under six minutes left in the first half and trailed by seven at the half, but the Blue Devils opened the second half with a 14-0 run and extended their lead to as much as 28 points in the session. Clemson dropped to 10-4, while the Blue Devils improved to 12-1. Former instate recruiting target Zion Williamson scored a game-leading 25 points and added 10 rebounds and two blocks and two steals. Clemson's senior trio of Marcquise Reed (15), Elijah Thomas (14) and Shelton Mitchell (11) scored in double-figures but the next-best contribution was from guard Clyde Trapp and seven points. Clemson shot 37 percent from the field in the second half with three 3-pointers made in 11 attempts. The loss was a 17th-straight for Clemson in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Clemson heads to Syracuse next on Jan. 9 for an 8 p.m. tip (ACC Network).
