Clemson 63 – 52 Pitt game summary
- The Tigers continued their mastery over the Panthers. Saturday’s win is the 15th straight for Clemson over Pitt.
- Saturday’s victory also marks the 200th win at Littlejohn Coliseum for Brad Brownell.
- Clemson’s defense was the biggest factor in the victory as the Tigers held Pitt to 21% shooting in the first half and 38% shooting overall.
- Pitt was hampered by foul trouble throughout the game as two starters picked up three fouls before halftime and four players finished with four fouls. The Tigers took advantage by sinking 17 of 20 free throws (85%).
- The Panthers struggled with their shooting early, missing 12 of their first 13 shots from beyond the arc.
- Clemson held Pitt to a single basket over a six-minute stretch and rode a 13-3 run into halftime (33-16).
- Pitt made some halftime adjustments and opened the second half on a 12-4 run to cut the lead to nine (37-28). After ice-cold shooting in the first half, the Panthers made six of their first nine shots out of the locker room.
- Clemson regrouped however, eschewing jumpers in favor of aggressive drives into the lane midway through the second half. The strategy yielded a 16-8 run that stretched the lead out to 20, effectively putting the game out of reach.
- The Tigers’ attack was balanced, with three players reaching double figures (Nick Davidson 12, Carter Welling 12, RJ Godfrey 10 points).
- Brownell is now 17-3 against Pitt coach Jeff Capel dating back to their CAA days when Brownell was at UNCW and Capel was coaching VCU.
- Brownell described the victory as a “workmanlike win,” and that his club was “rusty at times.”
- Clemson (18-4, 8-1) will next head out on a West Coast swing with games at Stanford, Wednesday, and Cal, Saturday.