Jared McCain’s Heroics Lead Duke Past Clemson in a Thrilling ACC Battle
Cameron Indoor Stadium Witnesses a Classic Matchup
In a highly anticipated ACC showdown at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the 12th-ranked Duke Blue Devils held off a determined Clemson Tigers squad 72-71 in a contest that came down to the final seconds. The victory marked Duke’s sixth straight win and kept them in contention for the conference title.
A Tale of Two Halves
The first half was a tale of two halves, with Duke establishing an early lead before Clemson fought back to take a narrow advantage at the break. The Blue Devils came out firing, with freshman sensation Jared McCain draining a trio of three-pointers in quick succession to give Duke a 29-20 lead. However, the Tigers responded with a flurry of their own, sparked by PJ Hall’s inside dominance and some timely three-point shooting. Clemson eventually took a 39-38 lead into halftime.
Second-Half Drama
The second half was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team able to gain a significant advantage. Clemson held a slim lead for much of the period, but Duke kept chipping away, thanks in large part to the efforts of Kyle Filipowski and Jeremy Roach. With just over two minutes remaining, McCain drove to the basket and drew a foul, converting both free throws to tie the game at 71-71.
Proctor’s Heroics
With the game on the line, Clemson had a chance to take the lead, but Tyrese Proctor came up with a huge steal and was fouled on the play. The Australian point guard calmly sank both free throws to give Duke a 73-71 lead with just seconds remaining. Clemson had one last chance to tie the game, but Proctor again came up big, blocking a potential game-tying three-pointer to seal the victory for the Blue Devils.
McCain and Proctor Shine
McCain led the way for Duke with a game-high 21 points, including 9-of-15 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 from three-point range. Proctor also had a strong performance, finishing with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Filipowski added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Blue Devils, while Roach chipped in with 12 points and 5 assists.
Hall’s Quiet Night
Clemson’s leading scorer, PJ Hall, had a relatively quiet night, finishing with just 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting. The Tigers also struggled from three-point range, connecting on just 6-of-25 attempts.
Scheyer Praises His Team
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer was thrilled with his team’s performance, especially in the face of adversity. “I’m proud of my team, man,” Scheyer said. “We showed a lot of toughness and resilience tonight. We had some guys step up and make big plays when we needed them most.”
Brownell Disappointed but Proud
Clemson head coach Brad Brownell was disappointed with the loss but proud of his team’s effort. “We played hard and competed for 40 minutes,” Brownell said. “We just came up a little short in the end. I’m proud of our guys for their effort and their never-say-die attitude.”
Up Next
With the win, Duke improves to 15-4 overall and 6-2 in the ACC. The Blue Devils will next travel to Blacksburg, Virginia, to face Virginia Tech on Monday, January 16th. Clemson drops to 13-6 overall and 3-5 in conference play. The Tigers will host Louisville on Tuesday, January 17th.
Additional Highlights:
- Duke outrebounded Clemson 38-30.
- The Blue Devils had 15 assists compared to Clemson’s 10.
- Duke forced 11 turnovers while committing only 8.
- The game featured 12 lead changes and 7 ties.
- The attendance at Cameron Indoor Stadium was 9,314.
Post-Game Quotes:
“I’m really proud of our guys. They showed a lot of character and toughness tonight. We had some guys step up and make big plays when we needed them most. Jared McCain was huge for us tonight. He made some big shots and played great defense. Kyle Filipowski also had a big game. He was a force on the boards and he made some big plays down the stretch. Jeremy Roach gave us a big lift off the bench. He hit some big shots and made some key plays. Overall, I’m really happy with the way our guys played tonight.”
“We’re disappointed with the loss, but I’m proud of our guys for their effort. We played hard and competed for 40 minutes. We just came up a little short in the end. I thought we had some good looks at the basket, but we just couldn’t knock them down. We also had too many turnovers. We need to be better at taking care of the ball. Overall, I thought we played well enough to win, but we just didn’t make enough plays down the stretch.”
“I’m just glad I was able to help my team win tonight. I knew we needed to make a play at the end, so I just tried to create something. I was able to get to the basket and draw a foul, and then I made the free throws. I’m just glad we were able to get the win.”
“I’m really proud of the way we played tonight. We showed a lot of toughness and resilience. We had some guys step up and make big plays when we needed them most. I was able to hit some big shots and make some key plays down the stretch. Overall, I’m really happy with the way we played tonight.”
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