GREENVILLE – After spotting Virginia 12 points, Clemson lost to the No. 4 team in the country on Senior Night, 64-57.

Paced by Jaron Blossomgame, who scored 31 points on 10 of 16 shooting, Clemson lost their third game in a row, which dropped the Tigers’ record to 16-13 (9-8 ACC). Once again, he carried the load for Brad Brownell, who didn’t have another double digit scorer.

“I thought our guys showed great resilience. For us to be down 12-0 to the No. 4 team in the country and take the lead — I thought there was a 25-minute stretch of the game where we out-played them,” Brownell said. “Now they’re a championship team, because the last eight minutes of the game, they know how to win games.”

ACC Player of the Year candidate is a big reason why. Malcolm Brogdon paced Virginia (23-6, 12-5) with 18 points by making his first four 3-point shots. Three of the Cavaliers’ starters scored in double-digits and the other two each had nine.

In the midst of Virginia’s run at the start of the game, Clemson missed all 10 of its shots. Brownell thought the rocky stretch may have been a product of the Tigers’ seven-day layoff since the Georgia Tech game.

“I thought we looked just a half-step slow the first six minutes of the game. I just felt like guys were a half-step behind and our timing wasn’t great,” he said. “Some of the guys were breathing really hard. It was like getting back out into a game — it was like they were hyperventilating.”

The drought ended on the Tigers’ first possession after the first stoppage in play when Jordan Roper made a nifty reverse lay-up. Brogdon quickly answered on the other end with a 3-pointer.

An 8-0 run by Clemson cut the score to 15-10 before Brogdon canned his third 3. The Tigers responded with an and-1, which Sidy Djitte converted after the second media timeout (11:10). It was also the sixth straight made field goal.

Clemson trailed 23-17 at the third media timeout (7:46). Anthony Gill’s lay-up with just over four minutes to play ended Virginia’s stretch of six consecutive missed field goals. The Tigers cut the lead to 26-23 on the other end, when Blossomgame knocked down a 3-pointer.

Facing a 28-23 at the under 4 timeout (2:58), Clemson cut the lead to one possession before London Perrantes’ 3-pointer from the top of the key.

The 3-point shot proved to be lethal. Virginia made 40 percent of their attempts from the field, but hit at a 47 percent clip from deep.

“Some of it is just our size. We’ve got Jordan Roper guarding guys 6-5. I mean, he tries to be there, but it’s what you’ve got to live with a little bit,” Brownell said.

Virginia took a 33-27 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Blossomgame nearly brought the house down at the start of the second half with his reverse dunk along the baseline. His corner 3-pointer on the next possession cut the score to 34-32. After three trips with near misses by Avry Holmes, Blossomgame gave the Tigers’ their first lead with 16:23 to play.

The lead switched back in Virginia’s favor after Tony Bennett’s timeout, thanks to a buzzer-beating Marial Shayok’s 3-pointer.

Both teams were in the midst of scoring droughts when the Cavs led 39-36 at second media timeout (11:59). Virginia shot 0 for 4 during their drought of 3:12 while Clemson was 1 of 7 over the 3:32 drought.

Brogdon and Blossomgame ended the runs. Brogdon was first before Blossomgame responded with an and-1, to cut the score to 41-39. Grantham recaptured the lead with a 3 in front of the Tigers’ bench.

The teams exchanged leads five more times before the third media timeout (6:22) of the half.

Virginia used a 5-0 run after the break to build a 53-47 lead, before Brad Brownell called a timeout with 4:17 to play. Clemson responded with a 5-0 stretch, before Perrantes pushed the lead to four with another 3-pointer.

Clemson shot 44 percent from the field and 35 percent from behind the 3-point line.

“At the end of the day, their defense was good down the stretch,” Brownell said. “It slowed us down.”

Photo credit:  Dawson Powers – USA TODAY Sports