Clemson Tigers Win Sixth Straight With Road Victory Over NC State Wolfpack

The Clemson Tigers pulled ahead late for a gritty win over the NC State Wolfpack on Saturday.

Feb 1, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Marcus Hill (10) dribbles with the ball guarded by Clemson Tigers guard Chase Hunter (1) during the first half of the game at Lenovo Center. / Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers have been red hot over the past few weeks and they continued their run against the NC State Wolfpack with a 68-58 win on Saturday afternoon.

It was a closer match than the Tigers have been accustomed to, but the challenge should be welcomed as a solid test for the postseason.

Clemson pulled away late, so the score isn't exactly representative of what the game felt like the whole time. It was a solid answer by the Tigers with the Wolfpack keeping themselves within distance down the stretch.

Clemson now moves to 18-4 on the season overall and a stellar 10-1 in ACC play. They're on a six-game win streak ever since their loss to the Louisville Cardinals.

With this win, the Tigers could push themselves back into the AP Top 25. They were on the fringe in the last vote and are already back into the Coaches Poll.

ESPN's Bracketology still has them as a seven-seed, which would be a downgrade compared to last year. If they can finish the season out as strong as they have played in the last few weeks, they'll be in good shape.

This already wasn't the cleanest performance, though, so there will need to be some recalibration done.

NC State out-rebounded Clemson 38-28, with a large chunk of that difference coming on the offensive boards.

The Tigers were disciplined on defense, which was a plus. The Wolfpack only shot six free throws in this one.

The game ball should be handed out to senior Clemson guard Chase Hunter. He finished with a team-high 20 points on 50% shooting. 12 of those points came in the second half.

Hunter has become a team leader and one of the best offensive threats in the nation. He is averaging 17.1 points per contest and leads the conference in 3-point percentage at 45% on almost six attempts per game.

Cincinnati Bearcats transfer forward Viktor Lakhin also had a crucial performance for the Tigers.

He finished with 13 points with 11 rebounds. His defense was even more important with two blocks and two steals.

The Tigers continue their ACC trek on Tuesday back at home against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. They'll have to be sure not to look ahead to the game against the Duke Blue Devils a week from now.

If Clemson can take down the Yellow Jackets, the game against the Blue Devils could end up being for the lead in the ACC.

Massive implications which will call for massive focus from Brad Brownell's squad.