Clemson eliminated from ACC Tournament

GREENSBORO, N.C. — This year was supposed to be different. The defense was better. The chemistry was pure.

Instead, Clemson’s latest trip to the ACC Tournament looked way too much like its last one — and quite a few before that, too.

Thursday night, the sixth-seeded Tigers came out disjointed and sloppy against N.C. State, and never quite got over the proverbial hump, dropping a 59-57 first-round decision to the 11th-seeded Wolfpack at the Greensboro Coliseum.

It is Clemson’s second straight ACC first-round loss to a double-digit seed after 2009’s 86-81 loss to 12th-seeded Georgia Tech.

Clemson (21-10) enters the NCAA Tournament on a two-game losing streak, losing a valuable chance to build momentum and improve its seed. It could fall to a double-digit seed when the field of 65 is set Sunday.

State won its third game in four tries, improved to 18-14 and will face third-seeded Florida State in tonight’s fourth quarterfinal.

“For 40 minutes in this game (State) battled and banged and never let down,” Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said. “We’ve done that, at times, from an emotional standpoint and a physical standpoint. That’s what we’ve got to do the next time we play. We’re at that time where if you don’t battle for 40 minutes, get frustrated, get down, you’re out of the tournament. It’s an exciting time but at the same time an unforgiving time.”

The Tigers have now been one-and-done in four of their last five ACC Tournaments, with the only exception 2008’s title-game run.

“I think we came out and played a little flat,” said senior forward Trevor Booker, who finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. “N.C. State wanted it, you could tell they wanted it, and they executed their gameplan.”

A questionable intentional foul helped Clemson close within three points. Leading 44-37, Farnold DeGand fouled Booker going up, and referees crossed their arms for the intentional. Booker made one of two free throws, and Noel Johnson nailed a 3 from the left corner for an unconventional four-point play.

Andre Young and David Potter forced Javi Gonzalez into a turnover, but Young threw it away at the other end, and Scott Wood responded with a 3 of his own, pushing the lead back to six.

The Tigers couldn’t string a run together as the Wolfpack kept its composure, getting key bucket after key bucket.

Demontez Stitt’s leaning 3-pointer cut the lead to 59-57 with 4.1 seconds to play. Julius Mays missed the first end of a 1-and-1, but Clemson couldn’t corral the rebound as time expired.

Johnson added 12 points, But he and Booker were the only Tigers in double figures; Stitt had nine points and Young 2.

The Tigers made only 20 field goals and 39.2 percent of their shots, making just 10 of 18 free throws.

Clemson was lucky to be within 25-21 at halftime following an ugly first 20 minutes.

N.C. State controlled the tempo with a plodding, walk-it-up style, keeping Clemson out of its preferred frantic, trapping pace.

Making matters worse, the Tigers were downright careless with the ball, committing nine turnovers that led to 10 Wolfpack points.

During one stretch around the eight-minute mark, they coughed it up on three of four possessions, with the other a Tracy Smith swat of Jerai Grant in the post.

Horrid free throw shooting also hurt badly; Clemson made only three of nine free throws in the half, a 33.3 percent clip. Booker, a 60.9 percent shooter, made only one of six tries, missing both free throws on two trips.

Still, the Tigers hung in; after trailing 24-16 with 1:56 left, they scored five of the half’s final six points, highlighted by a David Potter breakaway 3-point play.

Poor inside-out play hurt. Booker took four shots and had the ball consistently low, but guards Stitt and Young — key cogs of late-season success — rarely got their hands on it. They combined for two points (a Stitt floater) on 1 of 4 shooting.

“They hung in and battled,” Purnell said of the ‘Pack. “I don’t remember them flinching. They stayed tough. That’s a situation you’re in when you’re in a tough league, playing good teams. They were highly motivated and they stayed tough.”

N.C. State bolted out of the locker room with energy, scoring the first four points of the half. When Smith’s turnaround jumper fell, the ‘Pack had a 29-21 lead and Purnell had seen enough, calling a timeout with 18:26 left.

Clemson found life with pressure; after Booker’s 3-pointer from the top of the key, a Stitt drive, followed by two straight Jerai Grant baskets around State turnovers, cut the lead to 33-30 with 15:56 left.

Two more Tiger turnovers and a Scott Wood 3-pointer extended the lead to 10, but the Tigers clawed back with five straight points, keeping State’s lead at 42-37 with 11:29 to go.

“I thought they played a whale of a ballgame,” Purnell said. “They persevered and kept up with the runs we threw at them.”

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