Chase Hunter delivered the dagger, nailing a step-back three-pointer in overtime to lift Clemson to a hard-fought 78-75 victory over Pitt Saturday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center.
In a game full of momentum swings, the Tigers (15-4, 6-1 ACC) came up clutch when it mattered most, securing a key Quad-1 win and staying tied for second in the ACC.
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Dillon Hunter’s hustle set the tone for the Tigers in overtime. Scrambling on the floor in a chaotic scrum, Hunter somehow came away with a critical offensive rebound.
He quickly got the ball to Jaeden Zackery, who found Chauncey Wiggins wide open for a three. Wiggins’ lone triple of the night put Clemson up 71-68 with 3:28 to play.
Moments later, a missed free throw turned into a full-court highlight, as Hunter delivered a perfect dime to Zackery for an easy bucket, extending the lead to 73-68.
Zackery had a standout afternoon, finishing with 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting, along with five rebounds and three assists.
His poise in overtime was critical, but it was Chase Hunter who stole the show, scoring a game-high 20 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
Hunter was electric early, draining four first-half threes and pacing Clemson to a 40-30 halftime lead.
After cooling off in the second half, he made his presence felt again in crunch time.
Clemson’s offensive outburst in the first half seemed to indicate the game might be over early. The Tigers came out firing, hitting 10-of-16 threes in the opening 20 minutes and finishing with a season-high 14 triples on 51.9% shooting from beyond the arc.
Clemson built a 14-point lead early in the second half. But Pitt’s physical defense and Clemson’s cold shooting stretch flipped the script. An 18-4 run by the Panthers tied the game at 57 with 8:35 left.
Pitt (12-6, 3-4) took its first lead since the opening half with 5:43 remaining, as Clemson endured another brutal scoring drought this time lasting over four minutes.
Despite their struggles, the Tigers’ defense kept them in the game. Back-to-back clutch jumpers by Zackery gave the Tigers a 66-64 lead, but Pitt’s Jaland Lowe responded with a tough layup to tie it.
A late turnover by Chase Hunter then sent the game into overtime.
Ian Schieffelin, battling through injuries, was the only steady force in the paint. The big man recorded another double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, adding three assists in 39 gritty minutes.
Dillon Hunter, who sparked Clemson in overtime, was key all day, recording 10 points, six assists, and three steals in 33 minutes. His hustle was contagious all across the floor.
Pitt turned things around in the second half, shooting 52.2% after a rough 37.5% in the first.
The Panthers' physical play in the paint, especially against Viktor Lakhin, disrupted Clemson's rhythm.
Lakhin finished with just three points and four rebounds in 20 minutes but contributed defensively with two steals and a block.
The Tigers outrebounded the Panthers 32-30, as Pitt has yet to win a game when losing the rebounding margin.
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It still felt like the Tigers were dominated on the boards, giving up 25 second-chance points.
Despite losing in nearly every other statistical category—turnovers, points in the paint, blocks, steals, and assists—the Tigers managed to find a way to pull out the win.
Clemson’s victory extended its dominance over Pitt to 13 straight victories, with Brad Brownell improving to 13-2 all-time against the Panthers.
Next up, Clemson returns to Littlejohn Coliseum to host Syracuse on January 22 at 7 PM. The game will air on the ACC Network.
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