Clemson Tigers Lose to South Carolina Gamecocks in Second-Straight Overtime Loss

The Clemson Tigers once again came up short in overtime.

Dec 17, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Brad Brownell directs his team against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers entered the week looking for some revenge, as they suffered a tough overtime loss to the Memphis Tigers over the weekend. 

Despite a close loss in overtime against Memphis, the Tigers saw their team drop nine spots in the AP Top-25 in just their second loss of the year. It was a fairly significant drop despite the loss coming at home to a team that is now in the Top-25 as well. 

However, with the new year right around the corner, Clemson got to face their rival, the South Carolina Gamecocks, in their final out of conference game of the year. 

It was a tough first half for the Tigers in this one, as they were held to just 26 points on 31 percent shooting from the field. Shooting the ball from beyond the arc was an issue as well, as they hit just one three-pointer. 

With the three-point line being key, the Gamecocks were able to control play from beyond the arc, as they shot a solid 40 percent from deep, which helped create an eight-point halftime lead. 

After a sluggish first half, Clemson performed much better in the second half, as they totaled 54 points. However, for the second straight game, the Tigers were forced to play in overtime. 

Chase Hunter was certainly the star of the game for Clemson, as he led the team with 27 points and hit the three-pointer to send the game into overtime. Overall, he led the Tigers with five three-pointers. 

In the loss, Ian Schieffelin had another solid game for Clemson, as he totaled 23 points and 11 rebounds. However, his front court partner, Viktor Lakhin, had a very tough game, scoring just four points and eventually fouling out. 

For the Gamecocks, it was a well-balanced attack on offense. In the win, they had three players score over 15 points, with Collin Murray-Boyles leading the way with 22 points. 

The slow start for the Tigers really hurt them in this one, as it is not easy to win road games against quality opponents with just 26 points in a half. However, they showed a lot of resiliency in the second half and overtime, but it just wasn’t enough. 

Next up for the Tigers on Saturday will be their second conference game of the season against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, as Clemson looks to right the ship and head into the new year on a positive note.