Clemson overcame a slow start and rode a big second half from Ian Schieffelin to a hard-fought 71-58 victory at Virginia, Saturday. The Tigers fought through some choppy offense and a 32-27 halftime deficit after a hot-shooting first half from the Cavaliers. UVA enjoyed a stark advantage from beyond the arc early, making half of its 3-point shots before the break while holding Clemson without a 3-pointer through the first 27:37 of game time.
But the second half proved to be a different story. Schieffelin dominated down low, scoring 13 of his 21 points after halftime. Schieffelin was clearly a difference-maker, leading all scorers and grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds.
Clemson (24-5, 16-2) also clamped down defensively, limiting Virginia to 39% shooting in the second half. The Tigers, meanwhile, upped their half-court execution, shooting 55.6% from the field after intermission to erase the early deficit and come away with their 16th league victory.
The Tigers, having already secured a double-bye in the ACC Tournament, are still in position to challenge Duke for the regular season crown if the Blue Devils slip up. Clemson has two conference games remaining, the first of which is coming up at Boston College, Wednesday. Tipoff between the Tigers and the Eagles at the Conte Forum in Chestnut, Hill, Mass., is set for 7 p.m.