Clemson's depth and balance the difference in 74-70 win over No. 24 SMU
CLEMSON — The Tigers traded classes for a crowd Wednesday night and made it count.
Clemson (13-3, 3-0) imposed its will on No. 24 SMU (12-3, 1-1) at Littlejohn Coliseum, edging the Mustangs 74-70 in a game that came down to the wire.
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This was a game down the stretch, and these Tigers have been battle-tested. Clemson won its first two ACC games by five points or less, and Wednesday night, they did it again.
With 2:53 remaining, leading by just five, Clemson grabbed an offensive board.
Butta Johnson was all alone in the corner.
Bang. Littlejohn erupted. Johnson’s third triple of the half gave Clemson breathing room and sent a message: this team thrives in the clutch.
SMU had cut a 15-point second-half deficit down, but Clemson’s discipline – the kind expected from a Brad Brownell-coached team – prevailed.
From the opening tip, the Tigers dictated the pace.
SMU, a team built to run was held to just 25 first-half points, remarkable for a squad averaging 91.5 points per game. Clemson forced two turnovers in the first two minutes alone, finishing with 13 on the night, setting a tone of physical, disciplined defense that has become Brownell’s calling card.
That defensive pressure isn’t just coaching; the Clemson faithful, particularly the students back in town, brought an energy that felt like a blue-blood atmosphere.
Loud, electric, and contagious.
Leadership on the floor started with Dillon Hunter.
Rarely flashy on the box score, Hunter played 35 minutes — one of only two Tigers to top 30 — and controlled the game with precision. He had 10 points on the night adding four assists.
He knows exactly when to push the pace and when to slow it down, rarely turning the ball over while orchestrating the offense.
Clemson runs through its game manager, and Hunter is that rock.
Inside, RJ Godfrey owned the paint.
Battling SMU’s 7’2” center Samet Yiğitoğlu, Godfrey scored a team-high 17 points and grabbed six rebounds in 27 minutes, asserting Clemson’s presence and forcing the Mustangs into uncomfortable matchups.
As usual for this roster, someone new stepped up.
Freshman forward Chase Thompson made an immediate impact, scoring seven first-half points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting — a layup, a dunk, and a three — leading the Tigers at halftime.
Then there was Butta Johnson, deadly from deep.
With SMU clawing back early in the second half, Johnson drained a shot-clock buzzer-beater and followed it immediately with a heat-check three, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
He finished with nine points, all from beyond the arc, reminding everyone why Clemson can rely on multiple players on any given night.
Gone are the days of Chase Hunter or Ian Schieffelin carrying the load.
Eight Tigers scored six or more points Wednesday, and the bench outscored SMU 27-9, functioning more like an extension of the starting lineup than a supporting cast.
SMU’s offense struggled under Clemson’s pressure, and the Tigers neutralized one of their toughest matchups: leading scorer Boopie Miller. The elusive guard didn’t find his rhythm until it was too late. He managed just 5-of-15 shooting but finished with 23 points, with 11 coming from the free-throw line.
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Clemson shot efficiently across the board: 24-of-56 (42.9%) from the field, 9-of-31 (29%) from three, and 17-of-24 (70.8%) at the line. SMU finished 19-of-51 overall, 6-of-17 from deep, and 26-of-29 at the stripe.
Wednesday night was a reminder: Clemson basketball isn’t about individual heroics. It’s about discipline, depth and balance. The Tigers proved they can impose their will, even on one of the nation’s highest-scoring teams.
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Next up, Clemson hits the road for another ACC test at Notre Dame, tipping off at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, on ESPN2 or ESPNU. If Wednesday night is any indication, this team is ready to play its style anywhere.
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