Tigers go on road, knock off Pirates to improve to 9-2 |
A pre-Christmas game on the road, against a mid-major opponent had the potential to provide a stumbling block for Oliver Purnell’s Clemson basketball team. Instead, power forward Trevor Booker fell just one assist shy of a triple-double in helping to lead the Tigers to an 80-63 win over the East Carolina Pirates in Greenville, N.C., Wednesday night as the Tigers got back into their shooting groove following a disappointing performance last Saturday. Booker had 13 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists for the Tigers (9-2), while Andre Young added a career-high 16 points as Clemson shot 46 percent and led by as many as 23 points in the second half. Tanner Smith also recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers, who have won three straight and five of their last six. The Tigers hit 10 3-pointers in rebounding from Saturday’s performance against Furman that saw them shoot 0-for-11 from beyond the arc. The Pirates (4-6) got off to the quick start when Jamar Abrams knocked down a jumper on East Carolina's first possession for a 2-0 lead. Smith hit a 3-pointer on the next possession to put the Tigers ahead for good, starting Clemson's 7-for-15 shooting from 3-point range that helped the Tigers take a 46-29 halftime lead. Then David Potter and Booker followed with two more 3s that pushed the lead to 52-32 with 17:08 left. The Pirates got no closer than 15 in the second half as the Tigers went on cruise control.
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