Clemson basketball takes down No. 20 Alabama on the road in ACC/SEC Challenge

Clemson men’s basketball got an early statement win Tuesday when it took down No. 20 Alabama on the road. The Tigers’ 85-77 victory was a point for the ACC in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge.

Clemson is 6-0 for the first time since the 2008-09 season under then-coach Oliver Purnell.

It was a back-and-forth contest for much of the game, but a 13-0 Clemson run in the middle of the second half helped turn the tide. Center PJ Hall started it when he re-entered the game with 13 minutes to play after sitting in some foul trouble and went on a personal 7-0 run. That started the 13-0 stretch that allowed Clemson to retake the lead after Alabama (5-2) had gotten up as many as seven.

Hall finished with a team-high 21 points. Joe Girard III (16), Chase Hunter (15) and RJ Godfrey (11) were also in double figures. Ian Schieffelin led all players with 14 rebounds.

Clemson defense holds up vs. Alabama

The Crimson Tide entered the game averaging almost 98 points per game, the highest mark in the country.

Clemson coach Brad Brownell had expressed some concern over his defense’s ability to start fast after the Tigers’ win over Alcorn State last week. In that game, Clemson allowed a one-win team to shoot 57% in the first half and 50% for the whole game.

The Tigers didn’t have that problem Tuesday. Alabama’s 32 first-half points were the fewest it’s scored in a half in its now seven games. The Crimson Tide shot 28% from the field in the first 20 minutes and went 4-for-18 from beyond the arc.

Alabama improved in the second half, shooting 42% to finish 34% from the field. But as Alabama’s offense found its stride, so did Clemson’s.

Second-half threes help lift Clemson

Clemson shot 73% from the 3-point line in the second half. Girard and Hunter led the way. Girard went 4-for-6 from 3-point range in the second half after going 0-for-1 in the first. Hunter had also started 0-for-1 and finished 3-for-5.

The Tigers finished shooting 52% from deep. Three-point shooting has been a strength for Clemson so far: The Tigers entered the game ranked second in the ACC shooting 39.7%.

Up next

Clemson has its first ACC game of the season Sunday (2 p.m. ET, ACCN) at Pittsburgh.