Thursday, February 3

Clemson blows chance against the Wahoos; move to 4-4 in ACC Play

After the 13 pt first half, little else could be done to save the win for the Tigers last night.

The best thing to take away from this game is, again, the team's resilience. Despite only scoring 13 pts in the first half, they won the 2nd half 29-20 and put themselves in the unlikely position of having a chance to win the game. Instead I found myself wanting to gouge out my eyes.

This is fact.

Andre Young scored as many points in the game, as did the entire team in the first half. Simply, the Tigers did not execute. They shot abysmally. Their defense was porous and they looked lost on the court offensively.

I have no real explanation for the performance beyond that. The team couldn't shoot the ball well, but not only that, they weren't getting in position to have a chance to shoot the ball well.

In a game that was a must win, as much as is every game, last night's performance was pathetic. They reverted to standing around and trying to let the game come to them, when they need to take it for themselves.

This should have been a win, tough, easy, or otherwise. Now, the game against GT becomes even more important. If Clemson cannot finish out close games, they will not make the NCAAT. If they lose to teams like UVA, GT, and Wake- even in away games, they will not make the NCAAT.

Now the Tigers will limp into Atlanta with little more than an purr after rolling over for the Cavaliers. In what could have been  season-changing game, the Tigers failed to qualify and now will try to do it again on the road against GT.

The Tigers are 4-4. This was the only game of the first half of the season I did not predict correctly.

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