Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Chase Hunter hit the go-ahead jumper with 45.8 seconds remaining as Clemson rallied to take sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 75-74 victory over host Pitt on Saturday.
Hunter finished with a team-high 17 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists for the Tigers (13-3, 5-0), who are off to their best start in ACC play since the 1996-97 season.
Hunter Tyson added 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, with PJ Hall finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds and Brevin Galloway chipping in 12 points.
The Tigers, who trailed 67-59 with 5:35 left, shot 25 of 53 (47.2 percent) from the field, including 7 of 17 (41.2 percent) from beyond the arc, in addition to outrebounding the Panthers 36-35.
Jamarius Burton scored a game-high 28 points and added six rebounds and four assists for Pitt (11-5, 4-1), whose five-game winning streak ended.
Blake Hinson added 14 points and six rebounds, while Greg Elliott finished with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists for the Panthers.
The Panthers shot 23 of 57 (40.4 percent) from the field, including 11 of 29 (37.9 percent) from beyond the arc.
After Hall’s two free throws tied the game at 59 with 8:58 remaining, Elliott hit a 3-pointer to jumpstart an 8-0 run that gave the Panthers a 67-59 lead following Burton’s two free throws with 5:35 to go.
The Tigers countered by going on a 12-2 run to take a 71-69 lead on Galloway’s jumper with 1:48 left.
Burton’s jumper tied the game at 71 with 1:09 left before Hunter’s jumper regained the lead for Clemson with 45.8 seconds remaining.
After Federiko Federiko missed a layup with 11 seconds left, Tyson secured the win by making two free throws with 9.3 seconds remaining.
Pitt’s Nike Sibande hit a 3-pointer with a second remaining.
After Clemson took a 27-17 lead following Hall’s layup with 7:16 left in the first half, the Panthers closed on a 23-11 run to take a 40-38 halftime edge.
–Field Level Media