CLEMSON -- A switch flipped for Chase Hunter last March, and no defense has been able to turn it off since.
Hunter opened Clemson’s season with a massive dunk and closed out the first half by draining three threes—including a buzzer-beater—to finish with 15 points in the half as Clemson cruised past Charleston Southern, 91-64, in its opener Monday night at Littlejohn Coliseum.
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While Hunter led the scoring early, Clemson’s defense was the true catalyst for its 48-24 halftime lead. The Tigers’ relentless rotation forced seven steals and 12 turnovers in the first half alone, with Boston College transfer Jaeden Zackery leading the charge.
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Zackery, one half of Clemson’s tenacious backcourt duo with Hunter, finished with six points, three steals, three assists, and two rebounds.
Illinois State transfer Myles Foster emerged as an enforcer on both ends for the Tigers, going 6-for-8 from the field and hitting two from beyond the arc. He tied Hunter for a team-high 17 points, adding four rebounds and two blocks.
Dillon Hunter kept up the defensive intensity off the bench, using his length to force a steal and a backcourt violation, turning defense into offense early for the Tigers. He added five points, and three assists as well.
Ian Schieffelin kept his usual gritty presence with a couple of massive blocks, nine rebounds, and eight points.
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Chauncey Wiggins finished with 8 points on 3-for-6 shooting, four rebounds, and a steal.
Cincinnati transfer Viktor Lakhin quietly contributed throughout the night. After missing a couple of early post shots, he settled in to finish with 12 points, four rebounds, a block, and a steal.
Head Coach Brad Brownell’s deep rotation paid off, with nine players logging double-digit minutes and all scoring, keeping fresh legs on the court.
Jake Heidbreder, the last of Clemson’s nine to get on the board, added a spark in the second half with back-to-back threes, extending the lead to 27 with just over 10 minutes to play. He finished 3-for-4 from long range, showing promise as a potential replacement for Joe Girard’s sharpshooting from last season.
The freshman Del Jones logged 13 minutes. While he only scored four points, his energy was a spark the Tigers will look to throughout the season.
Christian Reeves, Clemson’s 7-foot-2 center, saw limited minutes but made his presence felt late in the second half, throwing down a huge lob from Jones. He wrapped up the evening with just three points
The Tigers, which led for 37:12 minutes, shot 49.2-percent from the field, including an impressive 11-of-21 (52.4%) mark from long range and a 16-of-24 clip (66.7%) from the foul line.
CSU was 20-of-50 (40%) from the floor and converted just 13-of-27 (48.1%) from the foul line.
Clemson will take the court again on Friday, hosting Saint Francis for a 7 p.m. ET tip. The game will be televised by ACCNX.
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