Clemson Gets Them This Time

Everybody was already thinking about another North Carolina versus Duke matchup after UNC's miracle in the first semifinal in the ACC Tournament. Not so quick fellas and take a minute to celebrate with the Clemson Tigers! Clemson against Duke?! Yes you heard it right, after losing twenty two in a row to the hated Blue Devils, the Tigers finally pulled one out against all odds.

Last year Clemson already had a fairytale season under coach Oliver Purnell but they collapsed toward the end. This year it's a different story. And there also wasn't any collapse in tonight's game. Led by the emphatic frontcourt duo of James Mays (17 points) and Trevor Booker (18 points) the Tigers ran away with the victory in the closing moments, 78-74. It was a fast paced game due to the never ending full court pressure by the Tigers, who never got tired and completely disrupted Duke's rythmn offensively. They forced the Dukies out of their comfort zone and into a miserable 6 for 26 performance from behind the arc.

But tonight is not about Duke, their overrated freshman Kyle Singler (1 for 9 from the floor) or everybody's darling Greg Paulus. It's a historic night for the Clemson Tigers basketball program. And when people think back in a few years on this day, they will not only remember the relentless play of Mays and Booker inside. They will also think of senior guard Cliff Hammonds, who was playing despite a broken wrist on his non shooting hand. Now that is toughness! On top of even being out there, Hammonds tallied in 17 points, including key free throws in the final minutes of the game. If the Tigers continue to have players with that great a heart, I'm sure they won't have to wait another twenty two until they beat Duke again...