For 18 minutes Wednesday evening, it felt like Clemson had lastly exorcised a number of of its ACC Tournament demons.
The Tigers have been free, assured and firing away from deep. Freshmen have been enjoying with out hesitation. Wake Forest had no actual solutions.
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Then, with below two minutes left in the half, Carter Welling planted his proper foot in the lane. His knee buckled, and similar to that, the ghosts of March stirred once more for the Tigers.
Clemson (23-9, 12-6) nonetheless walked away with a cushty 71–62 ACC Tournament win over Wake Forest (17-16, 7-11), but what ought to have been an evening outlined by one of many Tigers’ most full performances of the season carried an uneasy backdrop.
Welling crumpling to the ground, and needing assist to succeed in the locker room earlier than later returning to the bench in a full leg brace and on crutches, lingered over all the pieces that adopted.
The timing made the second much more jarring as a result of Clemson had been enjoying a few of its finest basketball in weeks.
The Tigers’ offense opened the evening with the rhythm that had been lacking because the California swing earlier this season. Clemson knocked down six of its first 10 makes an attempt from three-point vary, with each the starters and second unit contributing to the early surge.
Butta Johnson linked on a pair of threes early to get the Tigers began.
When the second line entered, the momentum solely grew. Dallas Thomas drilled a 3, Ace Buckner adopted with two of his personal and Chase Thompson added one other as Clemson shortly constructed a 24–16 lead and compelled Wake Forest onto its heels.
By halftime, the Tigers had stretched that run right into a commanding 41–23 lead.
Clemson shot 50 % from the sphere in the primary half and buried 9 three-pointers. For a crew that averages simply over eight made threes per sport, the early offensive burst represented a dramatic turnaround.
Wake Forest struggled to seek out the identical rhythm. Clemson compelled seven first-half turnovers and held the Demon Deacons to 35.7 % capturing.
Thompson, who stepped up following Welling’s harm, led the Tigers in scoring on the break with seven factors in simply 9 minutes on the ground.
His position expanded as soon as Welling exited. Thompson completed with 9 factors in 19 minutes whereas posting a team-high plus-minus of plus-14.
It’s to not recommend Thompson replaces what Welling offers. But the freshman’s regular development all through the season has made moments like this really feel much less overwhelming than they could have earlier in the yr.
Clemson’s depth had already been evident earlier than the harm.
With 13 minutes remaining in the sport, the Tigers led 52–32 — and never a single Clemson participant had reached double figures in scoring. Yet each participant who had stepped on the ground had made at the very least one subject aim.
That steadiness has been a defining trait of Clemson’s offense all through the season.
When the Tigers share the scoring load and a number of gamers contribute, they develop into considerably more durable to defend.
The bench mirrored that steadiness as effectively.
Clemson’s reserves outscored Wake Forest’s bench 34–20 whereas a number of younger gamers delivered significant minutes.
Thomas, who entered the evening averaging simply over 4 minutes per sport, performed with noticeable confidence. After drilling his second three-pointer from effectively past the arc, the freshman turned towards head coach Brad Brownell with a large grin and held up three fingers earlier than jogging again down the ground.
Thomas completed with six factors on two threes whereas including two rebounds and a steal in 10 minutes, posting a plus-minus of plus-eight.
Buckner additionally continued the regular position he has carved out over the second half of the season. The freshman completed with eight factors, 5 rebounds, three assists and a steal whereas offering vitality on each ends of the ground.
Inside, Clemson continued to lean on its frontcourt even with out Welling.
RJ Godfrey ultimately turned the primary Tiger to succeed in double figures halfway by way of the second half, ending with 11 factors on 4-of-10 capturing whereas including eight rebounds and two blocks. Nick Davidson chipped in eight factors and 7 rebounds in 22 minutes as Clemson maintained management inside.
Welling had 5 factors, 4 rebounds and two blocks earlier than exiting the sport.
The Tigers held a transparent benefit on the glass, outrebounding Wake Forest 40–33. Clemson was notably efficient on the offensive boards, the place it held a 17–7 edge and constantly generated second-chance alternatives.
Wake Forest did handle one push in the second half.
After Clemson stretched its result in 20 early in the interval, the Demon Deacons responded with a 9–0 run that briefly shifted momentum. Guard Nate Calmese, who had been dominated out for the season lower than two weeks in the past earlier than returning, scored all 9 factors throughout the run to chop the deficit to 11.
For a second, the sport threatened to tighten.
Clemson’s offense slowed throughout parts of the second half as possessions turned extra perimeter-oriented, permitting Wake Forest to chip away barely on the margin.
But the Tigers prevented the run from rising into something bigger by regaining their bodily presence inside and persevering with to manage the glass.
Wake Forest briefly minimize the result in single digits with simply over two minutes remaining earlier than Clemson closed the door on the free-throw line.
Defensively, the Tigers delivered one in every of their typical disciplined efforts. Wake Forest, a crew that usually seems to push the tempo, managed simply two fast-break factors all evening.
Clemson additionally protected the ball effectively with simply 4 turnovers, whereas turning Wake Forest’s 12 turnovers into 20 factors on the opposite finish.
Not each guard had a easy evening offensively. Jestin Porter and Dillon Hunter struggled to seek out constant rhythm, combining to shoot 4-of-17 from the sphere and simply 1-of-9 from three-point vary. Porter completed with 5 factors whereas Hunter added eight, going 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
Wake Forest obtained sturdy particular person performances from Juke Harris, who led the Demon Deacons with 22 factors, and Tre’von Spillers, who recorded a double-double with 15 factors and 12 rebounds. Calmese’s second-half scoring run additionally offered a short spark as he completed with 20.
Still, Clemson’s depth and defensive consistency saved Wake Forest from ever absolutely closing the hole.
In the tip, the Tigers delivered one in every of their most full crew performances of the season, but the lasting picture of the evening will not be any of the three-pointers or scoring runs.
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It could also be Welling mendacity on the ground late in the primary half, clutching his knee, as Clemson’s postseason push instantly carries a brand new query mark.
Clemson is not going to have lengthy to dwell on it.
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The Tigers advance to face North Carolina in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals Thursday evening, with tipoff scheduled for 9:30 p.m. on ESPN.
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