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CHARLESTON -- Clemson controlled Friday's game against No. 22 St. Bonaventure for much of the way and in fact at one point held a 16-point lead but could not hold on late as the Bonnies got hot from long range in the second half en route to securing a 68-65 victory in the semifinals of the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic.
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The Tigers (4-1) took early control of the game with 18:48 remaining in the first half, ultimately surging to a 36-26 halftime lead. The Tigers' biggest edge over the Bonnies (4-0) came with 3:12 remaining in the first half with a 32-16 lead after a Hunter Tyson dunk.
Clemson had three scorers reach double figures, led by P.J. Hall who tied Kyle Lofton by turning in a game-high 22 points. Nick Honor (12 points) and David Collins (14 points) joined Hall in double figures. Hall also turned in a career-high three blocked shots.
Clemson finally relinquished its lead to the Bonnies in the second half with 7:09 remaining after a Lofton three-point jumper. The Tigers would tie the score at 63-63 with a Nick Honor layup at the 1:59 mark, but a Jaren Holmes three-pointer put the Bonnies up for good. St. Bonaventure converted 10 of 12 three-point attempts in the second half.
The Tigers' final scoring came at the 1:16 mark on a Hunter Tyson jumper.
Clemson shot 44.8-percent from the field (39.1% from three-point range) and was just 4-for-8 from the foul line. The Bonnies were 58.3% from beyond the three-point arc, shooting 42.6% overall. The Bonnies were a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line.
Lofton earned game MVP honors and was joined in double-figures by two teammates - Holmes (19 points) and Jalen Adaway.
Clemson will remain in Charleston and will play the winner of the Marquette vs. West Virginia game on Sunday at 5 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
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