Clemson nearly relived a familiar nightmare Sunday afternoon, but this time, the Tigers found a way to finish.
Behind Dillon Hunter’s free throws in the final seconds, Clemson survived a furious rally to escape with a 68–65 victory over Cincinnati at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, closing out non-conference play with a third straight victory.
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Hunter delivered when things were close, hitting two free throws with 3.9 seconds remaining and finishing a perfect 4-for-4 at the line in the final seven seconds. His 10 points included five made free throws on six attempts, none bigger than the ones that sealed it. Cincinnati took one last look at the horn, but Day Day Thomas’ desperation echoed from behind the rim.
The game ended early. Clemson stormed out with a 14-0 run and pushed the lead to 23-3 in less than 10 minutes. The Tigers led by as many as 27 points in the first half and had a 38-18 advantage at the break after shooting eight of 14 from three-point range.
Then everything changed.
Cincinnati closed the first half with a short run and exploded out of the locker room, outscoring Clemson 22-4 in eight minutes to cut the lead to single digits. The Bearcats continued to hang around, cutting the margin to just two late in the game after winning the battle on the offensive glass and racking up the second-chance points.
Carter Welling and Ace Buckner scored 12 points each, while Jestin Porter added 11 and RJ Godfrey scored 10. Godfrey was critical down the stretch, scoring twice on the block and completing a three-point play with just over a minute left to keep Clemson in front.
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Cincinnati won the second half 47-30, but Clemson’s composure at the line proved just enough to avoid another collapse.
The Tigers improve to 10-3 and will open ACC play on New Year’s Eve at Syracuse after nine days off.
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This article was originally published on Clemson Wire: Clemson men’s basketball avoids collapse to beat Cincinnati
