Clemson picked an inopportune time for an upset loss when it fell 69-62 to Notre Dame on Saturday in South Bend.
Now, the Tigers (20-9 overall, 10-8 ACC) will look to rebound when it hosts a streaking Syracuse team Tuesday on Senior Night at Littlejohn Coliseum.
For PJ Hall and Chase Hunter, it will be the last time that two of the more decorated players will suit up before what’s sure to be an electric home crowd. (The Tigers close the regular season Saturday at Wake Forest before the ACC Tournament begins March 12 at Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena.)
Hall has led the Tigers in scoring this season and had 21 points in the team’s loss at Notre Dame over the weekend.
Hunter has had plenty of memorable moments as a Tiger, including a season-high 20-point performance against Miami three weeks earlier at Littlejohn. He also drained a clutch 3-pointer with 38.5 seconds remaining in his team’s 69-62 victory over Pitt last week that essentially put the game out of reach.
Joe Girard is another senior, though he’s played only one season for the Tigers after transferring from Syracuse. Girard has nevertheless been a team leader and averages 15.5 points per game.
NC State transfer Jack Clark is also a senior. Clark didn’t play in Saturday’s game due to illness. Alex Hemenway and Bas Leyte are also members of the Tigers’ senior class.
Clemson is facing a must-win situation if it hopes to finish fourth in conference standings and earn a double bye in the ACC Tournament. To do so, they’ll have to hold off a Syracuse team that has won four straight games and five of its past six.
The Orange (20-10, 11-8) moved one game ahead of Clemson for fourth in ACC standings when they defeated Louisville over the weekend. Judah Mintz leads Syracuse with an average of 19 points per game, and JJ Starling is second with 13.5.
Tuesday’s matchup will mark the second meeting of the season between the Tigers and Orange. Clemson defeated Syracuse 77-68 at JMA Wireless Dome (Carrier Dome) back on February 10. In that game, Girard scored a game-high 18 points in his return to Syracuse.
Series Notes and Recent History
Clemson leads the all-time head to head series with Syracuse, 9-6. All but two of those meetings have occurred since the Orange joined the ACC in 2013-14. Clemson has won six of the seven games played against Syracuse at Littlejohn Coliseum, including 91-73 last season.
How To Watch
Here’s a look at how and where Clemson fans can watch, listen, and stream Tuesday’s game.
Date: Tuesday, March 5
Time: 7 p.m. EST
Where: Littlejohn Coliseum
TV Channel: ESPN2
Live Stream: ESPN+
Radio: Clemson Athletic Network | TuneIn App | SiriusXM (Channel 382)
Broadcast Teams
ESPN2: Rece Davis, Sean Farnham
Clemson Radio: Don Munson, Tim Bourret