Clemson made Alabama sweat on its home floor, but the Tigers couldn’t finish off a strong second-half surge, falling 90–84 on Wednesday in the ACC-SEC Challenge.
Alabama guard Labaron Philon poured in 29 points and Amari Allen chipped in 20, helping the 12th-ranked Crimson Tide survive a wild finish. Clemson had chances down the stretch but missed three of its final four free throws and came up empty on several looks at the rim as Alabama closed the night on an 8–0 spurt.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementR.J. Godfrey led Clemson with 19 points, four rebounds and three assists, continuing his steady early-season form. Dillon Hunter finished with 13 points, five boards and four assists, while Jake Wahlin and Zac Foster added 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Clemson (7–2) nearly erased what had been a 19-point first-half deficit. The Tigers trailed 81–78 approaching the four-minute mark when Wahlin’s drive rolled off the back iron. He responded on the next possession with a steal and two made free throws to cut the gap to one. Moments later, Godfrey buried a Naismith three to give Clemson an 83–81 lead with 2:41 to play.
Philon answered immediately, and after Godfrey missed a pair of free throws on the next trip, the Alabama freshman knocked down a turnaround jumper to restore a Tide lead they wouldn’t surrender.
Clemson shot 29-of-71 (41%) from the floor and struggled from the perimeter, making just four of 19 threes. Alabama went 28-of-60 overall and connected on 12 triples, leaning on its outside shooting to build its early cushion.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementA 12–1 Clemson rally early in the second half turned a once-lopsided game into a fight. The Tigers hit four straight shots during that span as Alabama suddenly went cold, missing five in a row. Clemson eventually went in front 62–61 on a Hunter layup and later held a 66–64 lead after a Wahlin dunk with 8:54 remaining.
But Alabama’s blistering opening half kept Clemson playing catch-up. The Tide knocked down eight threes before halftime and led 45–30 at the break. Clemson grabbed 11 offensive rebounds in that span but managed only two second-chance points, while Alabama turned its nine offensive boards into nine points.
Up Next: Clemson travels to New York to face No. 9 BYU in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson Basketball Loses to No. 12 Alabama in the ACC/SEC Challenge
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