CLEMSON -- No. 23 Clemson made a statement Monday night in Littlejohn Coliseum, dismantling North Carolina 85-65 in a wire-to-wire win.
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The Tigers (20-5, 12-2), which led for 35:08 minutes, tied their largest margin of victory ever against the Tar Heels and, for the first time since 2019-20, took down both Duke and UNC in the same season.
Dillon Hunter put the exclamation point on the night, drilling a corner three to cap a 7-0 run with seven minutes left, pushing Clemson’s lead to 26—the largest of the game.
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But the game had been over long before that.
The Tigers flipped their game plans from the Duke win. Against the Blue Devils—the tallest team in the country—they attacked inside. But against a smaller UNC team, Clemson lit it up from deep, hitting 8-of-12 threes in the first half and twelve total in the matchup
Viktor Lakhin set the tone early, picking up where he left off after his 22-point performance against Duke.
He stepped outside and buried four first-half threes, dropping 20 points before the break. He finished with 22 points, six rebounds, five blocks, and a steal in just 25 minutes.
Behind Lakhin, Clemson blitzed UNC’s defense with multiple scoring runs, including 9-0 and two 8-0 bursts in the first half to take a commanding 49-33 lead at halftime.
Jaeden Zackery and Chase Hunter took over in the second half.
Zackery locked down UNC’s backcourt and showcased his all-around game, scoring 16 points with some crafty finishes at the rim. He also added seven assists, seven rebounds, and a team-high four steals.
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Hunter caught fire after a quiet first half, scoring 14 of his 19 points after the break. He drilled a deep three to open the second half, then lived up to his name with a “chase”down block on RJ Davis.
The Tigers dominated inside, winning the rebounding battle 41-28, including an 8-3 edge on the offensive glass in the first half.
Ian Schieffelin anchored the paint with 10 rebounds, five points, and three assists.
Chauncey Wiggins chipped in nine points on efficient shooting, adding five rebounds and a block.
UNC’s backcourt tried to keep the game within reach, with RJ Davis (18), Seth Trimble (12), and Elliot Cadeau (11) leading the scoring. But the Tar Heels (14-11, 7-6) never found a rhythm, shooting just 4-of-19 (21.1%) from three and 5-of-11 (45.5%) from the free-throw line, their worst mark of the season.
Clemson shot an even 50 percent from the field, 12-for-25 (48%) from beyond the arc and 9-of-12 (75%) from the line.
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Brad Brownell has now won four of his last seven matchups against UNC, improving to 5-16 all-time. Brownell also now has his seventh season of at least 20 wins as Clemson's head coach.
Up next, the Tigers head to Tallahassee on Saturday for a noon tipoff against Florida State on The CW Network.
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