CLEMSON, S.C. — The Clemson Tigers survived a dizzying perimeter assault from upset-minded American to take a fragile 39-35 lead into the locker room Friday night at Littlejohn Coliseum.
The visiting Eagles showed zero fear in the opening 20 minutes, draining 7 of 14 attempts from beyond the arc (50.0%) and leading by as many as seven points before the Tigers found their footing behind an 8-0 run late in the half.
American guard Madden Collins set the tone from the opening tip, shredding Clemson’s perimeter defense to pace all scorers with 13 first-half points on 6-of-11 shooting. Collins pushed American to its largest cushion of the half at 13-6 with a layup at the 15:03 mark, capping an opening blitz that left the home crowd stunned. Forward Julen Iturbe ignited the early spark with back-to-back 3-pointers, finishing the half with six points and six rebounds. Forward Matt Mayock provided another lethal weapon from deep, knocking down all three of his shots from beyond the arc for nine points.
Clemson absorbed the blow by turning to its frontcourt and finding a sniper of its own. Forward Liutauras Lelevicius was flawless from downtown, shooting 3-for-3 from 3-point territory for nine points. Dylan Faulkner anchored the interior with nine points and two assists, using his physicality to generate trips to the stripe. Guard Ace Buckner orchestrated the offense effectively, dishing out four assists to go along with seven points and a steal.
The first half was a relentless tug-of-war featuring seven lead changes and two ties. American controlled the game for 9 minutes, 59 seconds, while Clemson led for 9:11.
Clemson appeared to seize complete momentum with an 8-0 surge punctuated by a Lelevicius triple that stretched the Tigers’ lead to 37-30 with 1:46 remaining. But American answered right back: Mayock connected on his third 3-pointer with 1:13 left, and Collins slashed through the lane for a layup with 42 seconds remaining to slash Clemson’s advantage to 37-35. With 26 seconds left on the clock, Faulkner drew a foul on Greg Jones and calmly sank a pair of free throws to provide the 39-35 margin.
First-Half Key Stats & Storylines
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The Charity Stripe Disparity: Clemson capitalized on aggressiveness by shooting 7-for-9 (77.8%) from the free-throw line, while American did not attempt a single free throw in the first half.
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Paint Battle vs. Perimeter Barrage: Clemson outscored American 20-12 in the paint, while American matched that inside deficit by making seven 3-pointers to Clemson’s four.
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Rebounding & Rim Protection: Clemson secured an 18-14 edge on the boards, aided by Chase Thompson’s two offensive rebounds and a first-half best plus-11 rating off the bench. American countered with four blocks, three courtesy of forward Eric Michaels.
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Ball Security: Clemson committed just four turnovers compared to American’s six, converting those takeaways into seven points off turnovers.
With American shooting an even 50.0% from the floor and refusing to back down, the Tigers must tighten their perimeter rotation in the second half or risk one of the biggest home upsets of the early season.
Underdog American Stuns Littlejohn With First-Half 3-Point Barrage Before Tigers Claw Back