Clemson Tigers Secure ACC Win Despite Early Struggles Against Cal Golden Bears

Clemson secured another win this season after a slow start against the California Golden Bears.

Clemson senior forward Ian Schieffelin (4) dunks against University of California during the first half at Littlejohn Coliseum Saturday, Jan 4, 2024 in Clemson, S.C. / Ken Ruinard - staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers added another conference win to their record after fending off the California Golden Bears on Saturday night.

After a slow start for the Tigers, the night ended at 80-68 in favor of Clemson.

Without any conference victories, the Bears stormed into Littlejohn Coliseum for the first time with hopes of upsetting their ACC foes. However, Clemson came into the night ready to defend their perfect conference standing, and that is exactly what they did.

Clemson's defense was asleep in the first half, allowing California to hang tight with just a three-point disparity at the beginning of the second half. The Tigers were without senior center Viktor Lakhin in the first half, contributing to their slow start.

He joined his team from the bench after the half, creating a noticeable difference on the court.

Just like their defense, it seemed Clemson's offense needed the first half to thaw out.

They ended the first 20 minutes of play with nine turnovers, giving the Bears the right edge to stay in the game. Clemson's second-half turnaround saved the game for themselves.

Ian Schieffelin took the wheel for Clemson's offense, scoring 21 points in the game, leading the Tigers for the night. Senior guard Chase Hunter was not far behind his teammate, putting up 19 points.

Chauncey Wiggins' offensive consistency also was crucial for the Tigers, scoring multiple game-changing 3-pointers to shift the tempo of the game in favor of Clemson.

California's Andrej Stojakovic carried his team's offense, making quite the impression in just his seventh game of the season. He continues to be a strong piece in the Bears' lineup and lead both teams in scoring with 30 points on the night.

Late second half foul trouble for the Tigers created a problem despite their 15-point lead with only three minutes of play left.

Lakhin, especially, collected a significant number of fouls late in the game and didn't return until about 40 seconds remaining.

Despite the effort put in by California and Stojakovic, Clemson captured a home victory to advance to 12-3 overall.

They will head to their next matchup against the Louisville Cardinals on Tuesday, Jan. 7 for another ACC game. Louisville is currently sitting at 3-1 in conference play.

The Golden Bears, however, will head back west without recording a single conference win even after tonight's battle.

Clemson advances to 4-0 in the ACC, and will look to overcome Duke in the ACC standings as the season progresses.