Instead, the Tigers are making the entire conference take notice.
Advertisement
Since ending December on a three-game skid following its 80-69 defeat at North Carolina, Clemson is 3-0 in 2016 after upsetting No. 20 Louisville at home Sunday.
Brownell also offered his thoughts, per Pete Iacobelli of the Associated Press (via ABC News): “It was another big win for us. Some of it was individual confidence, and some of it was trying to do too much on our own”, coach Brad Brownell said after earning his 100th win with Clemson.
Jaron Blossomgame led Clemson (11-6, 4-1) with 17 points while Landry Nnoko posted 12 points and 13 rebounds to help a Tiger team rally from a 12-point deficit early and use a highly-executed second half to hand the No. 9 Blue Devils (14-3, 3-1) their first ACC loss.
Clemson started by scoring the game’s first five points, but Duke found its offensive rhythm quickly. “We always believe in each other”. The victory was the fourth straight for the Tigers (11-6, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) and the third in a row over an NCAA champion in the past eight days following wins at Syracuse and No. 21 Louisville.
To make matters worse, Ingram-who contributed 15 points in the first half-picked up his third foul with less than two seconds left before the break, joining Plumlee, Jeter and junior guard Matt Jones in early foul trouble.
Krzyzewski said there’s little he can do about the rotation, especially with Jefferson injured.
“There’s no answer to it. We don’t have alternatives”, Krzyzewski said of dealing with his team’s foul situation. “It’s tough for a young team to be really smart”. “They’ve been playing really good basketball”. We’re experienced and we have older guys. “That showed up. I thought that was the difference tonight”.
Grantham’s 3-pointer tied the game 50-50 before Blossomgame hit a long-range basket to put Clemson ahead for good, 53-50 with 7:24 left.
Duke went to various zones to slow Clemson down, but it didn’t work. On the ensuing possession, Ingram’s layup was swatted away by Nnoko, and Roper followed up a Holmes miss with a tip-in that gave the Tigers a 62-55 lead with 3:14 to play.
Duke entered the game scoring 23.2 percent of its points on free throws, but the Blue Devils didn’t attempt a foul shot until 10:45 remained in the game. Dequon Miller’s 17 points paced the Bears (6-11, 2-3).
Jaron Blossomgame and Jordan Roper each hit three’s to give the Tigers a five point lead, but Duke came storming back in the final few minutes to bring the game within one. Up just one, Brownell told his guys to spread the court, and with Roper dribbling in front of him and the shot clock winding down, Brownell told his guard to “go attack”, and Roper drove the lane and dished to an open Blossomgame, who threw down a dunk that pushed Clemson’s lead back to three with 13 seconds remaining. “We didn’t execute well in the end”. “That shows poise. That shows quality play”.
Clemson jumped out to a 5-0 lead before Duke took control and led 28-16 with 7:32 to play in the first half. Clemson’s Avry Holmes got the rebound and hit two foul shots with 1.8 seconds left to put things out of reach.
“They’re playing very well and they’ve played in four very hard (ACC) games”, Krzyzewski said. “We’re not a great team”. We’re a good team.
These players have been crucial to the Tigers’ hot run and if Miami wants to end that stretch, it’ll be important to shutdown that Clemson trio.
Advertisement
“If there’s only so much lead in your pencil, you have to be careful how many words you write”, Krzyzewski said.
