Clemson remains unbeaten in ACC play with 69-59 win over Miami
CLEMSON — On an alumni Saturday afternoon inside Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson honored the late Elden “Big Easy” Campbell during the game, then did what he once did so well – making the difficult look routine in a 69–59 win over Miami.
What stood out wasn’t just the margin, but the manner.
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Against the ACC’s most productive offense, No. 22 Clemson (16-3, 6-0) delivered one of its most complete defensive performances of the season, controlling the game from start to finish and never trailing.
The victory marked Clemson’s sixth straight ACC win and kept the Tigers unbeaten at home this season.
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Miami (15-3, 4-1) entered the afternoon averaging a league-high 87.8 points per game. By the time the Hurricanes found any offensive rhythm, the damage was largely done.
Clemson’s defense set the tone early with activity, pressure and discipline.
Passing lanes disappeared. Ball-handlers were forced to make decisions sooner than they wanted.
The Tigers finished with a season-high 12 steals — 11 in the first half — and forced Miami into 16 turnovers overall, rarely allowing the Hurricanes to settle into their offensive sets.
Much of that disruption began on the perimeter.
Jestin Porter was consistently in the right place, timing jumps into passing lanes and turning Miami possessions sideways before they could develop.
He was credited with three steals on the afternoon, but even when he wasn’t, Porter repeatedly tipped balls, forcing resets and shaving seconds off the shot clock.
His growth on the defensive end has been one of Clemson’s quiet storylines this season, and it showed again Saturday.
Dillon Hunter complemented that effort with on-ball pressure.
Where Porter disrupted lanes, Hunter attacked dribbles, keeping Miami’s guards uncomfortable from the moment they crossed halfcourt. Miami’s backcourt played loose early, and Hunter took advantage, pickpocketing his way to four steals.
The Tigers’ activity didn’t stop there.
Clemson’s frontcourt joined the effort, with RJ Godfrey and Nick Davidson both with two steals apiece using active hands to disrupt entry passes and punish Miami’s bigs when they tried to put the ball on the floor.
Clemson defended as a unit, and it showed in how rarely Miami found clean looks inside.
Miami did make a push midway through the second half, trimming a 17-point deficit to 55-47 after a 9-0 run with 7:05 remaining.
But that window closed quickly.
Malik Reneau fouled out moments later with 11 points, and Clemson responded the way good defensive teams do.
With composure.
The Tigers answered with a 9-3 run, capped by a Hunter 3-pointer, pushing the lead back to 64-50 with 3:39 left and effectively sealing the outcome.
Despite the defensive dominance, Clemson didn’t rely on transition offense to build separation.
The Tigers struggled to convert turnovers into points, scoring just 14 points off Miami’s 16 miscues. Instead, Clemson won in the halfcourt.
Miami’s early zone dared Clemson to shoot from the perimeter.
The Tigers accepted the invitation, knocking down five of their first nine attempts from beyond the arc.
That early shooting forced Miami to extend defensively, opening space where Clemson prefers to operate – inside the paint.
Carter Welling was central to that shift.
After hitting two early 3-pointers, he settled into his interior game, finishing efficiently around the rim and controlling space in the paint. He finished with a team high 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting while adding nine rebounds, consistently punishing smaller matchups once Miami was forced out of its zone comfort.
Godfrey paired with Welling to give Clemson a steady interior presence, adding 10 points and three rebounds on 4-of-8 shooting. Rather than forcing touches, the Tigers let the offense flow to the paint naturally once the perimeter was respected.
In the backcourt, Hunter and Porter continued to show why they are becoming one of the ACC’s more complementary guard pairings.
Porter provided the scoring punch, finishing with 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting, while Hunter orchestrated the offense, posting seven assists – a season high – to go along with his defensive work.
The performance came on an appropriate afternoon.
Clemson’s all-time assist leader Grayson Marshall was back in the building for alumni day, a fitting presence as Hunter delivered the ball to teammates the same way Marshall once fed Elden Campbell inside.
Miami eventually found production from Shelton Henderson, who led the Hurricanes with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting.
Tre Donaldson, Miami’s leading scorer, needed more than 30 minutes to score after entering with five straight games of 19 or more points. He finished with just five points on 2-of-10 shooting
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The Tigers finished 27-of-51 (52.9%) from the field, 8-of-17 (47.1%) from three-point range and 7-of-10 (70%) from the free-throw line. Miami shot 21-of-54 overall, including 6-of-24 from beyond the arc.
Clemson will remain alone atop the ACC standings for now, with Duke set to play later today. What Saturday reaffirmed is that against the league’s best, Clemson continues to dictate terms. Brad Brownell’s defense remains impossible to solve, and the Tigers’ offensive balance leaves little room for opponents to key on one option.
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Clemson will look to improve to 7-0 in ACC play Tuesday when it welcomes Will Wade and NC State to Littlejohn Coliseum at 7 p.m. on ACC Network.
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