Clemson Earns Hard-Fought Win Over Seminoles

Hall makes four crucial free throws down the stretch to lift Tigers to victory

CLEMSON, S.C. — P.J. Hall made four clutch free throws down the stretch to lift Clemson to a 75-69 victory over Florida State Wednesday at Littlejohn Coliseum.

"That is hard fought ACC basketball," Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said. "I am really pleased with the way we defended late. I did not think we guarded as well in the first half."

The Tigers (12-9, 4-6 ACC) also got 12 points from guards Nick Honor and Chase Hunter, while forward Naz Bohannon came off the bench to add 11 points and five rebounds.

"Offensively, I thought were outstanding. I think our bench gave us a huge lift," Brownell said. "Obviously, Nick, Naz and Alex (Hemenway) came off the bench and played very well offensively, which gave us a big boost."

Clemson's bench contributed with 32 points, while FSU had 22 bench points.

David Collins and Hemenway dropped in nine points each. Collins also had a team-high eight rebounds, as Clemson outrebounded the Seminoles 37-24.

FSU, known for its height and length, had just five offensive rebounds to Clemson’s 10. They were led by Caleb Mills’ 16 points.

The Tigers made six of eight free throws down the stretch to seal the victory. The Tigers were 15 of 21 from the foul line overall.

The Seminoles (13-8, 6-5 ACC) have now dropped three straight games.

Betting Odds: WIth the win, the Tigers remain at the bottom of the league in terms of odds to win the ACC at +50000 according to Fanduel.

Key Play: With the Tigers clinging to a four-point lead, 71-67, and FSU inbounding from the baseline, they forced a five-second violation. The turnover led to two P.J. Hall free throws to extend the lead.

Player of the Game: Hall scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Tigers. The sophomore made four free throws, including two one-and-one situations in the last 90 seconds of the game.

"He made big free throws. Those are big shots," Brownell said.

Coach’s decision: Clemson head coach Brad Brownell put the Tigers in a 2-3 zone quite a few times, including near the end of the game that limited the Seminoles' inside presence. FSU missed its last four three-point shots and did not have a field goal in the last 3:14 of the game.

"We don't play it a lot, but it was moderately effective tonight," Brownell said.

Brownell said they played a little more zone against FSU because of foul issues and the Seminoles' length.

Stat of the game: Clemson turned the ball over 14 times, allowing Florida State to outscore the Tigers 14-11 in points off turnovers. The Tigers did force three straight turnovers at the end of the game to create separation.

"I think our defense was really good late," Brownell said.

Injuries: Hunter Tyson left the game in the first half with an upper body injury.

Up Next: Clemson hits the road on Saturday and will play at Georgia Tech. Tip is set for 2 p.m. in Atlanta.