Clemson tries to get over UNC loss as No. 7 Duke comes to Littlejohn

Tigers hope to not let loss to Tar Heels beat them twice

CLEMSON, S.C. — While some might be honoring Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski tonight when he makes his final appearance at Clemson’s Littlejohn Coliseum, the Tigers on the other hand have more important things to worry about. Like beating Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils.

Clemson is in desperate need of a win tonight when it hosts No. 7 Duke--the favorite to win the ACC according to Fanduel at -250--at 8 p.m. The game will be televised on the ACC Network.

The Tigers (12-11, 4-8 ACC) have lost their last two games and six of their last eight overall, including a heartbreaking two-point defeat to North Carolina just two days ago. UNC’s Brady Manek made a layup with 3.1 seconds to play as the Tar Heels beat Clemson, 79-77, at Littlejohn Coliseum on Tuesday.

P.J. Hall said the Tigers needed to let the UNC loss sting and let it hurt for a little bit, but not to allow it to carry into tonight’s game against the Blue Devils.

“We can’t kill ourselves. This is such a quick turnaround, so we just have to go out there and play the next game,” he said. “We have to play with as much fire as we had tonight. I thought that we competed. We had a lot of great energy, great spirit and it ended up not going our way.

“There were a couple of plays down the stretch that we did not make, so we will try to go out there and get the next one.”

Coincidently, the last time Clemson played Duke, it also was another two-point loss. The Blue Devils (19-4, 9-3 ACC) beat the Tigers 71-69 on Jan. 25 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., a game in which many believe Clemson outplayed the Blue Devils.

“We have to get stops down the stretch,” Hall said. “We have to make sure whenever we are going down (the court) we stay as one unit. We don’t get too spread. We don’t go on to an island, and make sure we stay as one on the court.”

Hall feels the Tigers have done a good job staying together, despite the fact they have lost seven games by seven points or less this year.

“(David Collins) is sacrificing his entire body on a guy that has thirty pounds on him for a charge in the last minute,” Hall said. “So, we were right there. There is not really much we have to change. We just have to make one or two more plays down the stretch.

“Also, down the stretch is important, but in the first half, you also have plays where they are getting a few layups. It is never the final plays you lose on. There are always other plays you look back on.”

SETTING THE SCENE BETWEEN THE TIGERS AND BLUE DEVILS

Like Clemson, Duke is also coming off a tough loss. The Blue Devils fell to Virginia on Monday night with a stunning, 69-68, loss at Cameron. Virginia’s Reece Beekman hit a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds to play to knock off the ACC favorites.

Because of the loss, Duke will also be a hungry team coming into Littlejohn tonight.

CLEMSON BASKETBALL HEADLINES

· In conference play, Hall is averaging 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. He is shooting 48.2 percent from the field. He is on pace to become the highest scoring post player at Clemson since Trevor Booker averaged 15.2 points per game during the 2009-10 season.

· Clemson is third in the ACC and is 18th nationally in 3-point shooting: 38.2 percent (189-for-495).

· Freshman Ian Schieffelin scored a career-high 12 points on 4 of 6 shooting off the bench against UNC. He was also 3-for-3 at the foul line and made his only 3-point attempt of the night.

SERIES HISTORY VS. DUKE

· Clemson and Duke will match up for the 144th time in program history.

· Clemson is 3-1 against Duke at home in its last four contests dating back to the 2013-’14 season.

· The last time both teams matched up in Littlejohn Coliseum, the Tigers prevailed over a No. 3 Duke squad, 79-72, in 2020.

· Clemson is 24-39 all-time against Duke in Clemson

· Duke owns a 111-32 record over the Tigers overall

--Clemson Athletic Communications contributed to this story