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Brad Brownell impressed with his team's defensive effort after Clemson advances to Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament

Wade-Peeryby: Wade Peery03/25/24
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© Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The Clemson Tigers dug deep and delivered one of the best performances their basketball team has seen in the past few years on Sunday night. The Tigers managed to use some stifling defense to limit the Baylor Bears, one of the nation’s top three-point shooting teams, to one of their worst performances of the year.

Clemson prevailed 62-54 in a game that got extremely close in the final minutes, but they led for the final 36:33 of the contest. They advanced to the Sweet Sixteen and following the massive win, Tigers head coach Brad Brownell spoke with Jon Rothstein on the court.

What did he think was the biggest key in the final few minutes of the game?

“R.J.’s [Godfrey] free throws were pretty big. Yeah, we were hanging on for dear life there at the end. But I tell you what, I thought our defense for 38 minutes was unbelievable,” Brownell said.

You can watch the tournament live on Prime Video, add on your favorite channels and watch at home or on your phone and laptop at work!

Chase Hunter also spoke with Rothstein on the floor. He delivered a masterful performance, connecting on three of his five shots from beyond the arc, pouring in 20 points when his team needed it the most.

What was the mindset of his team entering the NCAA Tournament after losing three of their previous four games? “Exactly like I said all day. We came here to fight. We showed who we are. I’ve got blood all over me, man. I’m ready for another, man. Let’s fight. Let’s get it,” Hunter said.

The Clemson defense delivered a special performance

The Clemson defense delivered a special performance on Sunday night, limiting the Bears to just 6 of 24 from beyond-the-arc, just 25 percent for the game. Baylor was one of the top ten three-point shooting teams in the country coming into the contest.

Clemson is moving onto the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018.

Up next for the Tigers, they’ll face off against the No. 2 seed Arizona Wildcats. That one will take place on Thursday, March 28th. Tip-off is set for 7:09 PM EST. And the game will be nationally televised on CBS. For a look at some of the other games, you can find the schedule here.