No. 16 Clemson’s defense fell apart in the second half in a 95-82 loss to Miami at Watsco Center in the Tigers’ first true test in ACC play Wednesday night.
The game was a highly anticipated matchup for both squads but especially Clemson (11-2 overall, 1-1 conference), which entered Wednesday with the best overall record in the ACC. For the first half anyway, the Tigers more than looked the part.
Chauncey Wiggins punctuated Clemson’s first half with a 3-pointer that gave the Tigers a 41-35 halftime advantage.
The lead wouldn’t last long.
Miami (11-2 overall, 2-0 conference) made 12 of 18 shots from field goal range in the first 11 minutes of the second half — a span in which they totaled 31 points. By that point, the Tigers found themselves in a nine-point hole at 66-57. The Hurricanes would end up shooting a blistering 75 percent in the second half to close out the game.
All told, Miami outscored Clemson 60-41 in the final 20 minutes.
Joe Girard had another strong effort for Clemson, finishing with a team-best 18 points. PJ Hall added 17 points before fouling out, and Chase Hunter had 16. Wiggins scored 12 points and Ian Schieffelin had 11 to give Clemson five players in double figures.
Miami, playing without its second-leading scorer in Wooga Poplar, got a game-high 25 points from Nijel Pack. Twenty of those 25 points came in the second half. Matthew Cleveland and Norchad Omier both added 23 apiece for the ‘Canes.
Clemson returns to action Saturday when the Tigers host No. 8 North Carolina (10-3 overall, 2-0 conference) at Littlejohn Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. EST. The game can be seen on ESPN2.