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CLEMSON -- For the first time in nine years Clemson has fallen below .500 in the month of February.
Clemson dropped to 12-13 on the season after a 76-61 setback to Notre Dame Saturday night in Littlejohn Coliseum.
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The Tigers slipped to 4-10 in Atlantic Coast Conference play while the Irish moved to 18-7 overall and 11-3 in league play, tied with Duke for first place.
The Tigers, who have now lost eight of their last 10 games, briefly held a 3-2 advantage with just over a minute in after a Nick Honor three-pointer, but would not lead again at any point in the game.
After a second Blake Wesley free throw conversion at the 13:47 minute mark, Notre Dame was comfortably ahead 17-5. Just over three minutes later, the Irish enjoyed what would be their largest lead of the game at 28-11 after a Prentiss Hubb basket from long range. The Tigers would soon cut into the deficit to head into intermission down 38-28.
Notre Dame would control the second half and by double digits for much of the way.
Clemson true freshman forward Ian Schieffelin, who was making just his second career start, added the first basket of the second half. Schieffelin scored just six points but again pulled down a team-high nine rebounds after leading the Tigers with 10 boards against Duke on Thursday.
A P.J. Hall free throw conversion with 8:25 remaining cut the Irish's lead to 57-50. An 8-0 run from there by Notre Dame would keep its advantage in double digits the rest of the way en route to a 15-point win.
Three Irish players reached double figures in scoring, led by Wesley's 21 points. Notre Dame shot 52.7-percent from the floor and hit an impressive 13-of-24 (54.2%) shots from long range.
The Tigers, led by Hall's 19 points, shot just 42.6% overall and 5-of-18 (27.8%) from three-point range. Hall, who has now reached double figures in scoring for 24 consecutive games, added seven rebounds. Honor added 12 points while Naz Bohannon totaled 10 points from the bench.
Clemson was again shorthanded, having lost forward Hunter Tyson last week while guard David Collins sat out to serve a suspension handed down from the ACC following his ejection against the Blue Devils on Thursday after a flagrant foul on Wendell Moore Jr.
Clemson head coach Brad Brownell is now 2-8 all-time versus the Irish.
Notre Dame, which has now taken three in a row in the series, will return to South Bend to host Boston College on Wednesday while Clemson will travel to Tallahassee (Fla.) on Tuesday to face Florida State. The game is set for a 7:00 p.m. tip.
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