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'Popped in the mouth': How Clemson basketball, Brad Brownell proved unready for postseason
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- 'Popped in the mouth': How Clemson basketball, Brad Brownell proved unready for postseason
Clemson basketball 's appearance in the ACC Tournament lasted for 40 minutes after getting routed 76-55 to Boston College on Wednesday night at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
Despite being a near lock for the NCAA Tournament, The Tigers (21-11) lacked energy and played tight opposed to the Eagles (19-14), a team that is fighting for a March Madness spot.
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"I don't know if it was just got popped in the mouth and didn't recover," PJ Hall said. "It was not there in the first place, but I'll tell you what, for 40 minutes, they controlled it."
The sixth-seeded Tigers entered tied for fifth in the ACC in average rebounds (36.4) and had the fourth-best rebounding margin (3.2). Yet, the 11th-seeded Eagles outrebounded them 43-27, having 11 more defensive rebounds and five more offensive boards.
Boston College played with an urgency not only to win but to dominate at what Clemson does well.
"Our game plan was to keep the bigs, PJ and (Ian) Schieffelin, off the boards, and I feel like we did a good job of that," Boston College forward Devin McGlockton said. "We were just playing BC basketball, holding them to under 60."
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The Tigers trailed 40-28 at halftime, their largest halftime deficit in Clemson's ACC Tournament history, despite Boston College missing its best player, Quinten Post , for most of the half. The All-ACC second-team player had help from Claudell Harris Jr. and Jaeden Zackery, who combined for 26 points in the first half and 49 by the final buzzer.
For Clemson, Hall and Joseph Girard III showed up offensively, combining for 34 of the Tigers' 55 points. The team needed another scorer to step up, which is usually Chase Hunter.
Yet the guard struggled against the Eagles, scoring two points on 0-for-10 shooting, 0-for-5 from 3-point range and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Hunter, who had the worst plus-minus of the game with minus-29, could not knock down layups or jumpers.
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"Sometimes you get behind, and you're trying to make plays," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. "Sometimes you can be a little overly aggressive, and that may have happened on a handful of occasions tonight for Chase."
The Tigers' 55 points tied for the fewest points they scored this season — the other game was Jan. 6 against North Carolina. It was an abysmal showing for a team that is optimistic about an extended NCAA Tournament run.
Clemson can salvage this performance with a long run in March Madness despite gaining its fourth Quad 2 loss. The Tigers are expected to reach the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time under Brownell and should be seeded at No. 5 or 6.
"Fortunately for us, we've had a great season so far, so hopefully we'll get another chance, but as a group, as players, we've got to move forward and be better," Girard said.
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Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Why Clemson basketball flopped in ACC Tournament vs Boston College
