CLEMSON, S.C. — In a strong response to their previous setbacks, the No. 25 Clemson Tigers secured a 73-62 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday, starting their ACC season with a 2-0 record for the second time in three years. Chase Hunter led the charge with 16 points while Jake Heidbreder added 15, helping the Tigers improve their overall record to 10-3.
Clemson had faced challenges in their recent games, suffering two consecutive non-conference losses in overtime against Memphis and South Carolina. However, during this matchup, the Tigers quickly established a double-digit lead in the first half and managed to maintain it against the Demon Deacons, who now stand at 9-4 with a 1-1 conference record. One highlight for Wake Forest came when Hunter Sallis converted a three-point play that narrowed the Tigers’ lead to just 44-41 midway through the second half. Nonetheless, Clemson responded emphatically, launching a decisive 19-6 run over the next eight minutes to pull ahead once more.
Sallis emerged as the standout performer for Wake Forest, finishing with an impressive 26 points. The team’s performance was bolstered by Cameron Hildreth, but the rest of the squad struggled to find their rhythm, accounting for only 21 points on 33% shooting from the field.
For Clemson, this game demonstrated their capability and resilience following tough losses. Viktor Lakhin and Heidbreder were instrumental early on, but it was Hunter who truly shined, contributing 12 of his points during a critical stretch in the latter part of the game.
A pivotal moment came early in the second half when, with a narrow three-point lead, Clemson focused on the paint. Ian Schieffelin scored on a layup, followed by a powerful dunk from Lakhin, allowing them to regain control of the contest.
Noteworthy statistics included Lakhin’s bounce-back performance after a disappointing outing earlier in the week where he had only 4 points against South Carolina. In this game, he notched a well-rounded contribution of 13 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals, marking his best performance since joining the team from Cincinnati.
Looking ahead, Wake Forest will have a break of 10 days before their next game against Syracuse on December 31. Clemson, on the other hand, has an 11-day hiatus before they clash with Stanford on January 1.
