No Hunter? No problem… well, sort of.
This time, it was Chase Hunter under the weather. We can only assume he caught whatever sidelined his younger brother Dillon, who missed Wednesday’s game against Syracuse.
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Chase was questionable but suited up, and the Tigers still managed to take down Virginia Tech 72-57 Saturday evening in Blacksburg.
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The Tigers (17-4, 9-1) were rolling for the first 28 minutes, building a 17-point lead early in the second half. But the Hokies (8-12, 3-6) responded with an 11-0 run, trimming Clemson’s lead to just four, 49-45.
That’s when Chase Hunter—despite being less than 100-percent and opening 0-for-3 from deep—entered the game and made an impact.
In 10 minutes, he added two points, but a steal, two assists, and mere presence on the floor opened up space, helping the Tigers’ offense find its rhythm and seal the win.
Del Jones took advantage of the space and stole the show late. The true freshman scored eight straight points in just 90 seconds, pushing Clemson’s lead back to 15 with 4:02 to play.
He finished with a career-high 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, adding five rebounds, two assists, and just one turnover in a career-high 23 minutes; Jones continues to earn Brad Brownell’s trust in crucial situations.
Chauncey Wiggins stepped up in Hunter’s absence and showed flashes of the player Clemson fans have been waiting for.
The 6’10” “sharpshooter” led the Tigers with 16 points, including 10 in the first half. He hit four triples, grabbed five rebounds, and logged a career-high 34 minutes.
Virginia Tech’s top scorer, Tobi Lawal, hit foul trouble, picking up his fourth with 8:19 left. By the time he returned at the six-minute mark, Clemson’s lead was back to double digits. He finished with 14 points and six boards in 25 minutes, but it wasn’t enough.
The Hokies rotated heavily, with 10 players logging nine or more minutes, and no one playing more than 28.
Clemson dominated the paint, outscoring Virginia Tech 36-20 down low and winning the rebounding battle by seven.
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Viktor Lakhin had another strong outing, finishing with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, five rebounds, a block, and a steal.
Ian Schieffelin filled the stat sheet despite struggling offensively. He had six points on 2-of-6 shooting, seven rebounds, three assists, and a block.
Jaeden Zackery also had a mixed night, scoring 11 points but shooting just 4-for-11 and 1-for-5 from deep. He added five rebounds and four assists in a team-high 38 minutes.
The Tigers shot 48.3% (28-for-58) from the field and 33.3% (7-for-21) from three. Virginia Tech hit 38% (19-for-50) overall and 36.8% (7-for-19) from deep. Both teams struggled at the free-throw line, with Clemson going 9-of-13 (69.2%) and Virginia Tech a dismal 12-for-21 (57.1%).
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It was a total team effort, with Hunter being sidelined. The win moves Brownell to 10-12 against the Hokies and keeps Clemson tied for second in the ACC at 9-1 in conference play.
The Tigers now enjoy a much-needed week off before traveling to Raleigh to take on N.C. State (9-10, 2-6) next Saturday. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. The game will air on the CW Network.
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