The defense ramped up in Toronto, and the Clemson Tigers handed TCU their first loss of the year, taking down the Horned Frogs 74-64 in the Hall of Fame Series.

Clemson went back-and-forth in the first half and took a 36-35 lead into halftime. The Tigers defense was smothering, giving up just 32.4% from the field but TCU shot 17 free throws, making the same amount as field goals before the break.

Yet again, forward Ian Schieffelin’s rebounding made a massive impact, creating six second chances for Clemson, resulting in 11 points. He finished with a game-high 16 plus/minus and scored 14 on 75% shooting.

Schieffelin’s work sparked a 19-3 Tigers run early in the second half, and the Horned Frogs were quickly down double digits. Clemson went over four minutes without a field goal, but TCU didn’t take advantage.

The pair of PJ Hall and Joseph Girard III showed out, combining for 38 points and spearheading the victory. Girard knocked down three shots from behind the arc and went perfect from the free throw line with seven makes. Girard added 11 straight in the key run, which sealed the deal.

Emanuel Miller led the way for the Horned Frogs with 14 points, and free throw shooting kept his team in the game. 25 of TCU’s 66 points came from the charity stripe. 44 fouls were committed, and it had a heavy hand on the flow of the game especially with Hall fouling out late, even when a couple calls were questionable.

Clemson moves to 9-0 after the victory, dominating the second half, which is becoming clockwork for Brad Brownell’s team. It’s the fourth Quadrant 1 win, a strong boost to the resumé early in the season.

The Tigers get a week off after the long trip before traveling for a true road game at Memphis Dec. 16. Those Tigers are 6-2, and present Clemson another chance for a Quad 1 win.

Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports