Clemson Cruises Past USC Upstate 81-70

After a heartbreaking, last-second loss to rival South Carolina, Clemson got back into the win column with an 81-70 win at home over USC Upstate on Tuesday night.

Ken Ruinard

After a heartbreaking, last-second loss to rival South Carolina last week, Clemson got back into the win column with an 81-70 win at home over USC Upstate on Tuesday night.

Brad Brownell's Tigers used a 13-2 run midway through the first half to turn a close game into a 13-point lead at 24-11. After taking a 41-32 lead into the half, Clemson quickly pushed the lead out to 47-34, and never looked back, as the Tigers never trailed in the contest.

The Spartans got a big game from sophomore guard Jordan Gainey, who led all scorers with a career-high 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting. He was also 6-of-6 from the free throw line and singlehandedly kept USC Upstate competitive for much of the night.

Trae Broadnax added 16 for USC Upstate, while Justin Bailey pitched in with 15.

In the end, Clemson just had too much size for the Spartans, as the Tigers outscored USC Upstate 44-30 in the paint, with Dave Dickerson's team spending much of the second half in foul trouble.

The Tigers had four different players hit the double-digit mark in scoring, led by guard Chase Hunter's 20 points. The junior guard shot 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-6 beyond the arc.

Alex Hemenway also had a big night for Clemson, finishing with 18 points, also going 4-of-6 from three-point land. Brevin Galloway added 15 points, while PJ Hall finished the night with 13.

On the night, the Tigers shot 56% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc. The team struggled from the free throw line, though, hitting on just 11-of-18 attempts

Clemson's odds of winning the ACC regular season championship are currently +9500, according to Fanduel.com.. 

The win moves Clemson to 2-1 on the young season, while USC Upstate falls to 1-2.

Up Next: Clemson will host Bellarmine on Friday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ACCNX.

USC Upstate will return home, as the Spartans will host Coastal Carolina on Friday, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ESPN+ will televise the game.