Clemson Blows Out Boston College, 66-50

The Tigers headed to Chestnut Hill looking to end their three game losing streak, extend Boston College's 17 game losing streak, and regain momentum before the postseason begins. Sidy Djitte got the start over Landry Nnoko, because the latter was late to a team meeting. The Tigers started off 3-4 from three with their first 9 points all coming from behind the arc. They earned a few good looks in the paint, but failed to connect. Nnoko missed first two hook shots and Djitte had one rim out.

Fortunately for Clemson, their hot three-point shooting continued throughout the half as their offense took a short while to find a good rhythm. At halftime, the Tigers had registered a blazing hot 8-14 from three with Blossomgame hitting 4-5 and Grantham 2-3 in the first half.

Ty Hudson got into the mix himself in the half. He hit a three-pointer and shortly thereafter scored on a floater. With Roper departing at the season's end, seeing Hudson get some playing time and flourishing is encouraging. He seems to have improved since his non-conference appearances. Next season, he will get minutes at PG as a backup to either Shelton Mitchell or Alvry Holmes (or both), depending on if Avry Holmes or Marcquise Reed starts at shooting guard (I'd guess the latter).

Later in the first half, the Tiger's offense would find its flow, beyond just knocking down three-pointers. This progress was highlighted by an emphatic Donte Grantham slam dunk with a second left to push the lead to 17 at halftime!

BC came out of halftime and looked much better offensively while the Tigers were off the mark. After a ridiculously hot 8-14 performance from three in the first half, the Tigers reverted to the mean by connecting on just 1-10 second half three pointers. They finished 9-24, solid but nothing special.

Just as it seemed Boston College might begin mounting a comeback, their offense came came to a screeching halt. After scoring with just under 13 minutes remaining in the game, the Eagles offense would be held scoreless for over 8 minutes. The Tigers would re-extend their lead into the high-teens and effectively end the game.

Landry Nnoko got going in the second half scoring all 9 of his points then. After scoring his seventh and eighth points on a dunk, he was tagged with a technical for hanging on the rim. Boston College would miss the FT to keep the scoreless streak alive for just a few more seconds before they would eventually score in the post.

Blossomgame didn't have to be as assertive in this contest. He didn't reach the free throw line and only had six rebounds. He knocked down 6-10 of his field goals though, with four of his made buckets coming from three. He finished with 16 points to still lead the Tigers. Donte Grantham played very well getting 13 points on 5-9 shooting and grabbing 8 rebounds. Jordan Roper's shot was off for most of the night, but as we discussed in our Q&A with Streaking the Lawn prior to the UVA game, he's improved as a distributor to the point where he can contribute even when his shot isn't falling. He had four points on 2-7 shooting, but tallied 9 assists. His improvement will likely go unnoticed by casual fans who see his streaky shooting, but he has taken to the point guard position very well and was a key for the Tigers all year.

We said Boston College had a very bad offense, and we were right. They shot 4-21 from three. They didn't get to the line often and made only 6-11 when they did get there (Clemson struggled at the charity stripe as well, 9-17). While BC is bad, it's great to see the Tigers finish out the regular season strong. Hopefully this gives them the confidence boost they need as they head to DC for the ACC tournament.

The Tigers are likely looking at the #6 seed as they sit in 7th in the ACC standings, but benefit from Louisville missing out on the postseason. They'll play the winner of the #11 vs. #14 game which will be either Georgia Tech, Florida State, or Boston College. While Boston College is highly unlikely, I would much rather play Georgia Tech than Florida State. We'll see how that shakes out and have ACC tournament coverage for you here at STS, so be sure to check back.