With senior forward and pre-season All ACC First Team selection Aamari Simms saddled with foul trouble and limited to just 8 minutes and 4 points, freshman PJ Hall picked up the slack scoring 10 points and grabbing 7 rebounds to help lead Clemson to a 53-42 win over Mississippi State in the first night of the Space Coast Challenge in Melbourne, FL Wednesday night.
The Bulldogs scored the game’s first 7 points. It was 11-8 when Clemson went on a 9-0 run and the Tigers never trailed from there. They led 26-19 at halftime and stretched the lead to 16 with just under 9 minutes to play.
Al-Amir Dawes was the only other Tiger in double figures with 10. Nick Honor, in his first game at Clemson, added 8 points. Hunter Tyson led the rebounding with 8 boards.
Neither team shot the ball well from three, the Tigers were 5-25 and the Bulldogs were 4-13. The Tigers forced 19 turnovers which they turned into 22 points.
The Tigers will play Purdue Thursday night.
Brad Brownell postgame press conference
Final Stats
