CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The 10th-seeded Clemson Tigers faced an unexpected hurdle during Friday night’s semifinal clash at the ACC Tournament against No. 13 Louisville. As the game reached halftime with Clemson trailing 33-28, the Tigers encountered an unusual incident that complicated their efforts to regroup. The team found themselves locked out of their locker room during the break, delaying their strategic discussions.
Forced to adapt to the situation, Clemson’s players resorted to sitting on the concrete floor outside while head coach Brad Brownell provided them with a game plan. Eventually, building security managed to unlock the door, allowing the team access to the locker room just in time for additional planning. To accommodate the delay, the ACC extended the halftime break by two minutes.
After halftime, Clemson struggled to find their rhythm, going over six minutes without scoring a field goal and falling behind by as much as 15 points. Despite mounting a spirited comeback that brought them within two points, Clemson ultimately fell short, losing the match 76-73. Reflecting on the incident, Coach Brownell noted that such an occurrence was unprecedented for his team.
“It’s something you don’t expect at this level,” Brownell remarked, expressing his disappointment over the situation.
The ACC has commented that the reason for the locker room door’s mysterious locking remains unknown. Generally, security protocols involve posting a guard outside each locker room for every game, and incidents like this are rare. The situation added an unusual twist to an already challenging tournament clash.
