Clemson dominates victory over Wake Forest in second round of ACC tournament

The fifth-seeded Tigers came out firing from deep and quickly created separation. By halftime, Clemson had built an 18-point lead and took a 41-23 lead into the locker room after hitting nine 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes.

Advertisement

Wake Forest pulled back in the second half and cut the margin to 63-53 late in the game. The Demon Deacons continued to decline and eventually pulled within eight points with just over two minutes remaining. Clemson struggled at the free throw line during that stretch, missing several opportunities to extend the lead.

Ace Buckner provided the key moment down the stretch. With just over a minute left, he drove to the basket and completed a layup to push the Tigers’ lead to double digits and stop Wake Forest’s momentum. Dillon Hunter and Butta Johnson followed up by making six straight free throws in the final minute to secure the victory.

Clemson’s offense was balanced all night. RJ Godfrey led the Tigers with 11 points and six rebounds, while Chase Thompson added nine points, one shy of his career high. Nick Davidson and Ace Buckner each scored eight points, and Davidson also grabbed six rebounds. Dallas Thomas finished with six points.

The Tigers built their early lead thanks to a barrage of three-pointers. Clemson connected on six of its first 10 attempts from long range, including back-to-back 3-pointers by Thompson and Buckner that pushed the lead to 24-16 midway through the first half. Carter Welling and Godfrey then added baskets to extend the lead, and Jake Wahlin scored another three as Clemson extended the lead to 37-20 at the end of the half.

Advertisement

However, the shooting calmed down after the break. Clemson finished just 1 of 13 from beyond the arc in the second half after going 9 of 18 from three before halftime.

The Tigers also suffered an injury setback late in the first half. Carter Welling suffered what appeared to be a right knee injury and had to be helped off the ground before heading to the locker room. He did not return and finished with five points and five rebounds.