No. 11 Clemson traveled to FedExForum Saturday afternoon in search of its tenth straight win to start the year, but David Jones and the Memphis Tigers had other ideas.
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With 9.8 seconds left in the second half, the Tigers trailed 79-76 with a chance to stay undefeated.
Clemson (9-1) put the game's fate in PJ Hall's hands, who led all scorers in the second half with 10 points.
Hall received the inbounds pass and put up a difficult three-point shot, only to see it tip around toward the top of the backboard.
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Memphis didn't look back and held on 79-77 to snap Clemson's unbeaten streak. It was the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Clemson, which entered the contest ranked No. 1 nationally in RPI, held a 39-32 lead at the half, overcoming multiple Memphis runs to gain control. Memphis went into the game ranked No. 7 in RPI.
The second half told a different story.
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The home Tigers made life difficult for Hall and the Clemson offense, forcing eight turnovers in the second half. Memphis consistently locked off passing lanes, forcing ill-advised passes that led to easy baskets for Penny Hardaway's unit. Memphis also recorded 11 points off of Clemson's turnovers.
Clemson saw four starters score in double figures, but Memphis found an advantage on the bench, outscoring the Tigers 25-5 past the starting five.
Dillon Hunter was the only Tiger off the bench to log more than 10 minutes, seeing 30 minutes of action. RJ Godfrey and Josh Beadle combined for just seven minutes, with Bas Leyte on the floor for one minute.
With the Clemson bench struggling to provide offense, Brad Brownell turned to Chauncey Wiggins' steady hand for a spark.
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Wiggins recorded a new career high with 19 points, shooting 8-12 from the field. He connected on multiple shots from outside, with a mix of fadeaway jumpers inside. Wiggins has scored over double figures in three of his last four outings.
Hall finished with 21 points on the evening, leading all Clemson scorers. Ian Schieffelin recorded a double-double, finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds, a game-high.
Joseph Girard finished with eight points, his first game in single-digits since a win over UAB in the Asheville Championship series.
Girard struggled to stay on the floor as the game's final minutes winded down, fighting foul trouble with four. Schieffelin also finished with four personal fouls.
Chase Hunter added 13 points but was just 3-of-11 from the field.
Clemson shot 49.2-percent and converted 30.4% from long range. The Tigers were 10-of-15 from the foul line.
Memphis shot 43.3% and was just 4-for-26 (15.4%) from three-point range. UM hit 17-of-23 from the foul line.
With the win, Memphis moves to 8-2.
Clemson will aim to return to the win column on Friday as it welcomes Queens back home in Littlejohn Coliseum. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. ET tip and will be televised by the ACC Network.
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