Clemson Rolls Past Cal, Extends Historic ACC Road Streak to 14
**BERKELEY, Calif. ** - Clemson men’s basketball just keeps stacking wins-and this one was more than just another tally in the W column.
With a dominant 77-55 victory over Cal on Saturday night, the Tigers not only notched their 10th ACC win of the season, but also tied the second-longest road winning streak in ACC history at 14 games. That’s rare air, folks-Duke’s 1962-64 squad is the only other team to hit that mark.
But this wasn't just about history. This was about a team firing on all cylinders, from the opening tip to the final buzzer.
A Defensive Clinic
After trailing 13-9 early, Clemson flipped the switch in a big way. The Tigers ripped off a 20-1 run that completely flipped the game’s momentum.
Cal went ice cold-like deep freeze cold. From the 15:21 mark in the first half until 2:41 remained, the Golden Bears didn’t hit a single field goal.
That’s a 12-minute, 40-second drought. In today’s college game, that kind of defensive effort is almost unheard of.
Clemson’s perimeter defense was especially suffocating. After Cal opened 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, the Tigers locked in and held them to just 1-for-10 the rest of the way.
And it wasn’t just about contesting shots-Clemson controlled the glass too, giving up only four offensive rebounds and allowing zero second-chance points. That’s how you take the life out of an opposing offense.
Balanced, Bench-Driven Offense
While the defense was locking things down, the offense was humming. Nine different Tigers found the scoring column, and the bench poured in 35 of the team’s 77 points-right in line with their season average and a sign of just how deep this team is.
RJ Godfrey led the way with 13 points, five boards, and a little bit of everything else-plus his usual energy on both ends. Carter Welling, Jake Wahlin, and Ace Buckner combined for 35 points, giving Clemson a three-headed scoring punch that Cal simply couldn’t match.
Dallas Thomas had a breakout night, going a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and 2-for-2 from deep to notch a career-high eight points. Talk about efficient.
As a team, Clemson shot a blistering 55.1% from the field and 46.6% from three-marking their second straight game shooting over 40% from deep. That kind of efficiency has been a winning formula all season.
In fact, the Tigers are now 6-0 this year when they hit that 40% mark from beyond the arc, and 42-2 over the last four seasons. When the threes are falling, this team is tough to beat.
Milestones and Momentum
The win pushed Clemson to 20-4 overall and 10-1 in ACC play. It also marked the Tigers’ third sweep of the West Coast swing against Stanford and Cal-joining Wake Forest (last season) and Duke (this season) as the only ACC programs to pull it off.
Head coach Brad Brownell continues to climb the record books as well, earning his 312th win at Clemson and 479th overall in his career. The Tigers, now 94-34 since the start of the 2022-23 season (including 53-18 in ACC play), are showing the kind of consistency that makes them a real threat come March.
What’s Next
Clemson will look to keep the momentum rolling when they return home to face Virginia Tech on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on ACC Network.
If the Tigers keep defending like this and getting contributions from all corners of the roster, don’t be surprised if that road streak keeps climbing-and if this team keeps climbing the national conversation right along with it.