#Clemson flattens Syracuse 86-72 behind Hunter’s 23-point outburst, Tigers’ win streak at four (AUDIO)

LITTLEJOHN COLISEUM: Clemson peeled open the Orange 86-72, Wednesday, winning the turnover battle against Syracuse by a 14-7 margin. Clemson scored 19 points off those 14 Syracuse turnovers.

Syracuse opened the game shooting 71.4% before the first media timeout, giving them an early lead. That became the closest the Orange could come for the rest of the game, however.

Clemson’s 16-4 run between ten and six minutes left in the first half created a strong foundation. Del Jones captained the run with seven points, and guard Chase Hunter had five. A strong defensive showing led to a steal, and many missed shots buried the Orange in a heavy spiral. 

With leading scorer Donnie Freeman out, JJ Starling became the only solution for Syracuse. Starling stepped up, scoring 17 of his 25 points in the first half.

Clemson capped off the half with a 10-0 run and led 48-29 at the break. The Tigers tied their season-high in first-half scoring with the help of Hunter’s 18 first-half points. 

Clemson kept their second-half lead with steady basketball, bouncing from 20-point leads. Syracuse went full press for the last ten minutes of the second half but could not catch the Tigers. Viktor Lahkin left his mark on the second-half stat sheet, scoring 12 points while grabbing 3 rebounds.

Clemson was led by Chase Hunter, who put up 23 total points. Lahkin’s notched 16 second-half total points while snatching 10 rebounds and swatting two shots. Zackery’s 13 points rounded out Clemson’s top scorers.

The Orange were led by Starling, who hit 5 of 10 from deep and 10 of 16 overall for 25 points. Eddie Lampkin turned in a solid night as well, scoring 14 and adding nine rebounds, but he ended his streak of four straight double-doubles.

The Tigers have won four straight games against the Syracuse Orange (9-10,3-5), dating back to the 2022-2023 season. Clemson (16-4, 8-1) goes to Blacksburg to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies (8-10, 3-4) at 5 p.m., Friday.

Final Stats

Brad Brownell postgame press conference