Hunter Tyson scored 17 points as Clemson snapped an 11-game losing streak against Atlantic Coast Conference rival Virginia, winning 67-50 Wednesday night in Charlottesville, Va.
In toppling Virginia (7-5, 1-1 ACC) for the first time since the 2012-13 season and snapping an eight-game skid on the Cavaliers’ floor, Clemson (9-4, 1-1 ACC) also got 11 points and 11 rebounds from David Collins. PJ Hall added 11 points and seven rebounds, helping the Tigers to a 35-26 edge on the boards.
Naz Bohannon (eight points) led the Clemson bench, which outscored Virginia’s reserves 17-0.
Reece Beekman had a career-high 20 points and three steals for Virginia and Armaan Franklin added 13 points. But the Cavaliers made only 36.6 percent of their shots, including 6 of 22 (27.3 percent) from beyond the arc, and committed an uncharacteristic 14 turnovers.
Virginia, which trailed 35-27 at halftime, appeared ready to stage a rally early in the second half when it scored eight straight points. Beekman made a steal and a breakaway dunk and fed Franklin and Kihei Clark for 3-pointers as the Cavaliers reduced the Tigers’ lead to 37-35.
But over the next 11:03, Virginia missed 10 straight shots from the floor and committed six turnovers. Meanwhile, Clemson increased its lead to 56-42. Al-Amir Dawes and Alex Hemenway hit 3-pointers as the Tigers pulled away during the stretch.
In the first half, Youngstown State transfer Bohannon lifted Clemson making a putback and a pair of unlikely, desperation jumpers that barely beat the shot clock. The three buckets fueled an 11-2 run that transformed a one-point lead into a 10-point advantage. When Hall dropped a 3-pointer late in the half, it gave Clemson a 31-21 lead.
–Field Level Media