Clemson and Miami had what seemed like a back-and-forth affair on Saturday afternoon at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. There were nine lead changes in the first half, but actually, as far as the scoreboard was concerned, one team was in control for a large part of the game.

For a little more than 21 minutes during the meat of play, the Hurricanes were on top. Three times, the Tigers tied the score. Three times, the Canes were the next team to make a basket.

Then, Clemson turned a nip-and-tuck contest into a laugher, exploding on a 13-0 run over a five-plus minute stretch to create some breathing room in a 76-65 victory over the eighth-ranked team in the country.

The spurt spanned seven possessions on either end of the floor. The Tigers scored on six of theirs, including a pair of second-chance opportunities brought about by Sidy Djitte’s offensive rebounding.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes collapsed. Four different Miami players coughed up the ball, and the Tigers turned those turnovers into four points that ignited the rally. Once Jordan Roper banked home a layup in transition with 1:41 to play, Clemson led by ten points at 70-60 and was feeling good about itself.

“13-0 runs are fun,” Roper said with his trademark smile. “We love to do that.”

It was arguably the best stretch of basketball the Tigers have played all season, especially given the game time and situation. The roar from the 12,575 strong that filled the arena built to a fever pitch with each make and subsequent stop.

“We don’t win tonight if we have 6,000 fans,” Brownell said. “I don’t know if we win the game, to be honest with you.”

Miami coach Jim Larranaga was left holding his hands on his head, fully aware of the inevitability of a loss for his team that seemed destined for a win moments beforehand. For Brad Brownell, the reaction came on the opposite end of the spectrum.

“The offense was really exciting,” he said. “To see guys stepping up and making shots in pressure situations and to play that confidently and to move the ball—that was really good to see. It was high-level basketball there at the end.”

Multiple players stepped up to score for the Tigers when the game got tight. Jaron Blossomgame elevated for a jumper to start the rally. Donte Grantham made a contested fadeaway to give Clemson a 61-60 lead. Roper stepped into a baseline jumper off of a pump fake to extend the advantage.

Roper then brought the house down with a three-pointer off of an inbounds play. Djitte finished with an emphatic dunk on the next possession after a post-to-post feed from Blossomgame. Then came Roper’s transition lay-in that made the win all but certain.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the floor, Brownell’s team put the clamps on the Canes. Clemson’s head coach was not totally pleased with the way his squad guarded Miami throughout the game, but there was no mistaking the effort down the stretch—especially when Djitte took a full-extension dive to corral a loose ball and set up his punctuation slam.

“I think our guys just beared down, to be honest with you,” Brownell said. “I thought Sidy was helpful in the last three or four minutes, as well.”

Runs like the one Clemson enjoyed at the end of Saturday’s game are only built through an infectious confidence that permeates one team and discourages the other. Much like an historic week that saw the Tigers knock off three consecutive ranked opponents for the first time in program history, Roper says the team fed off of each success to prepare for the next one.

“In the game of basketball, there’s a lot of confidence and momentum that’s involved,” Roper said. “Right now, we have both.”