Brad Brownell and some of his players spent part of their time talking after Clemson’s win earlier in the week about the success the Tigers have had shooting from deep while acknowledging it’s not something the Tigers can count on every time out.
Saturday proved to be a prime example of that.
Chase Hunter scored 13 points while Brevin Galloway added 12, but it wasn’t nearly enough for Clemson to overcome cold offense and a hot-shooting Loyola Chicago team in a 76-58 loss to the Ramblers in Atlanta. Clemson (8-3) entered the night as the sixth-best 3-point shooting team in Division I (42%) while Loyola (5-5) was 272nd in that department, but the teams reversed those roles Saturday.
The Ramblers shot 12 of 24 from 3-point range but also balanced it out with looks closer to the basket, shooting 56.3% from the field against a Clemson team holding teams to 39% shooting on the season. And the efficiency the Tigers have had from beyond the arc for much of the season was nowhere to be found.
Three nights after sinking a season-high 14 3s in a win over Towson, Clemson shot just 38.9% from the field, including just 3 of 21 from 3, and committed 14 turnovers leading to 19 points for Loyola. It all led the end of the Tigers’ four-game win streak and, more importantly for Clemson’s postseason outlook, a second Quadrant 4 loss.
Loyola came into the game at No. 266 in the updated NET rankings. Only the Tigers’ loss to South Carolina (299) is worse from a resume standpoint. Clemson now has to wait a week for its chance to bounce back when the Tigers return to action Dec. 17 against Richmond in Greenville.
Clemson briefly made things interesting after trailing by as many as 14 early in the second half, cutting the deficit to eight with less than 7 minutes left. But a turnover by Tyson a couple of minutes later turned into a runout layup for Loyola, sparking a 13-1 run for Loyola that extended its lead to 20 down the stretch.
Philip Alston led Loyola with a game-high 23 points. Tyson added 10 points and six rebounds for Clemson, but the Tigers’ senior forward, shooting 47% from 3 coming in, went 0 for 5 from deep. He combined with Hunter, Galloway and fellow guard Alex Hemenway to shoot just 3 of 18 from the 3-point line.
Clemson faced its largest halftime deficit of the season (11) after shooting just 36% from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, including just 2 of 14 from 3-point range. The Tigers’ 26 first-half points were the fewest they’ve scored in any half this season.
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