Nick Honor, Aamir Simms and P.J. Hall each contributed a clutch overtime basket as Clemson (9-1) knocked off NC State 74-70 in overtime at Littlejohn Coliseum, Tuesday. Facing a sturdy Wolfpack defense and trailing by as many as nine points, Honor kept Clemson within striking distance by knocking down 5 of his 6 three-pointers and scoring a game-high 21 points. Honor capped his big night with a one-handed floater in the lane with less than a minute left in overtime.
Aamir Simms, coming off a career-high 25 point performance at Miami, struggled throughout regulation before coming up with a pair of big baskets in overtime. NC State’s post defenders, including 6-11 Manny Bates and 6-10 D.J. Funderburk, limited Simms to 1 of 8 shooting through the first 40 minutes of game time. But once Bates picked up his fourth foul, Simms went to work. Simms calmly backed down Bates on consecutive possessions and the second of his two hook shots put Clemson in front 70-68. Simms, despite battling foul trouble and NC State’s size, finished with eight points and seven rebounds.
Freshman P.J. Hall, playing alongside Simms down the stretch, got his first big Littlejohn Coliseum moment in the game’s final minute. Hall found himself isolated on the low block before taking four dribbles and sinking a jump hook to give Clemson a four-point lead with just seven seconds remaining. Honor, Simms and Hall combined to hit 4 of 5 shots in the extra period.
The Tigers, winners of four straight, are next in action at North Carolina, Saturday. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
Final Game Stats
