Clemson pounds Syracuse for second straight impressive ACC win
Whatever issues were hindering Clemson during its three-game losing skid last month, it’s safe to say the Tigers have figured things out.
Clemson handled Syracuse 78-61 Saturday afternoon at Littlejohn Coliseum, earning their second straight impressive win against a Hall of Fame coach.
The Tigers led by 20 at the half and held a double-digit lead over the final 26 minutes of the game. The victory comes four days after Clemson beat North Carolina 63-50. Clemson has now won three of four games after three consecutive blowout losses last month.
“This was a great team win. Really proud of our players for the way we competed and played this week,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. “This was a really good bounce-back week for us after a poor game at Duke.”
Clemson shot 53% from the field and 44% from 3-point range, having its way with Syracuse’s zone.
The Tigers held Syracuse to 30% shooting. The Orange made only three field goals in the first half as Clemson led 39-19 at the break.
“Played incredibly well in the first half,” Brownell said. “They’re hard to guard. They’ve got a lot of guys that can shoot and score. We kept them out of rhythm in the first half. ... We battled on the glass reasonably well. Just a really good defensive performance against a quality opponent.”
Offensively the Tigers were led by Aamir Simms, who scored 18 points and had 11 rebounds. Simms topped the 1,000-point mark for his career in the win. He had 13 first-half points.
“He’s a great player, great person, hard worker. Really happy that he’s being rewarded for all of his hard work.” Brownell said. “You’re just happy when players who put in the time can get the rewards. It takes a special talent to do all the things he can do.”
Nick Honor added 15 points for Clemson, knocking down five of his eight 3-point attempts.
Honor said of his shooting effort: “Any time there’s a zone, that’s like a shooter’s paradise.”
Clyde Trapp scored only two points but contributed in a variety of other ways, finishing with eight rebounds and 11 assists. Clemson played 10 players at least eight minutes.
The Tigers return to action Friday when they host Georgia Tech.
This story was originally published February 6, 2021 at 4:06 PM.
