Chase Hunter, back in the starting lineup after limited playing time recently because of illness, scored 20 points and Clemson withstood several threats from North Carolina State for a 68-58 road victory Saturday afternoon in Raleigh, N.C.
Viktor Lakhin had 13 points and Chauncey Wiggins ended up with 11 points for the Tigers (18-4, 10-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who are a half-game out of first place pending the outcome of Saturday night’s North Carolina-Duke game.
Clemson poured it on with a strong finishing stretch to secure its sixth consecutive victory. The Tigers, who shot 48.1 percent from the field, overcame a scoring drought of more than seven minutes during the first part of the second half.
Dontrez Styles hit six of eight 3-point shots on the way to 24 points for NC State (9-12, 2-8), which lost its sixth game in a row.
Lakhin pulled in 11 rebounds, but NC State held a 38-28 advantage on the boards. Clemson committed only five turnovers.
Styles shot 9-for-14 from the field. Other than Styles, the Wolfpack were 3-for-14 on 3-point attempts.
Styles made two 3-pointers to keep the Wolfpack in it at 55-49 by the five-minute mark.
Then Dillon Hunter scored on a drive and Wiggins followed with a pair of free throws. When Chase Hunter connected for two baskets in a 41-second span, Clemson had soared to a 66-53 lead with 2:28 to play.
Chase Hunter reached the 20-point mark for the seventh time this season.
NC State attempted six free throws in the game. The Wolfpack shot 14-for-38 on 2-point attempts against an aggressive Clemson defense.
NC State led with less than 14 minutes to play until Ian Schieffelin’s tip-in halted Clemson’s rough stretch. Chase Hunter notched six points in a two-minute stretch as the Tigers surged to a 48-41 lead.
Clemson, which hadn’t played in a week, led 34-31 at halftime. The Tigers avenged a one-point home loss from last season.
–Field Level Media
