Brad Brownell, Chase Hunter explain how Clemson got back on track in NCAA Tournament win
For the first time since the 2017-18 season, Clemson is advancing to Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. After the Tigers handily defeated No. 11 seed New Mexico 77-56 on Friday, head coach Brad Brownell evaluated his team’s performance.
“Offensively, we were pretty good. I know at halftime we had two turnovers and that was all,” Brownell said. “You’ve got to run good offense when the game gets wild. They thrive on on live ball turnovers. So, I thought our guys did a really good job on the offensive end. And then, I thought our ball screen coverage was good, as well.”
Clemson guard Chase Hunter was particularly excellent. In the triumph, Hunter tallied a game-high 21 points while shooting 8-16 (50%) from the field. He also added three rebounds and six assists to Clemson’s winning effort.
It was a bounce back game for Hunter, who left Clemson fans with a sour taste in their mouth in his last showing. The Tigers fell in the second round of the ACC Tournament to Boston College in stunning 76-66 fashion.
In the loss, Hunter’s offense was essentially non-existent. The 6-foot-4 senior only recorded two points while shooting 0-10 from the floor. Brownell couldn’t be happier to see his standout leader bounce back in a big way.
“He just had a bad night. I mean, it happens to all of us,” Brownell said of Hunter. “He felt as bad as any of us. But, man, he was terrific tonight, and I’ve seen that out of him several times. I’m really proud of this guy.”
The game was obviously personal for Hunter. He wasn’t about to allow Clemson to end its season on a two-game losing streak.
“We came into this tournament. We had a lot of hard practices, battling against each other,” Hunter said. “Everybody was against us. We just knew that we could do it. We were ready to fight and we came out and did that.”
Clemson will need to keep its fighting spirit alive. On Sunday, the Tigers will face off against No. 3 seed Baylor with their season on the line. The game time and broadcast network will be announced soon.