Clemson spent its season opener sorting out the early-season rust, then turned the game into a comfortable home win behind a breakout night from Ace Buckner.
Buckner poured in a career-high 20 points, and the Tigers rolled past Stetson 85-72 in their first game of the year. Clemson didn’t look fully settled right away, but once the offense found its rhythm, the gap opened quickly.
The first few minutes were uneven. Clemson made just four of its first 12 shots, and Stetson hung around early before the Tigers started to separate. Chase Thompson helped steady things by finding space in the corner and knocking down multiple threes, part of a 17-7 Clemson start that gave the offense room to breathe.
Buckner’s night took a little longer to get going. He opened 0-for-5 from the floor, but he kept putting pressure on the defense and earned points at the line.
Once the shot started to fall, Clemson’s momentum picked up with it. He drove through contact for a basket, then later buried his first three of the night from the corner after Stetson had trimmed things with three free throws.
From there, Clemson pushed the game out of reach before halftime. The Tigers closed the first half on a 14-2 run over the final six minutes, and Stetson’s attempts to slow things down with zone and 2-3 looks didn’t do the trick. Clemson kept leaning into the paint and the foul line, scoring all of those points either at the stripe or near the rim.
David Fuchs and Dylan Faulkner did most of the damage inside during that stretch, finishing with nine and eight points in the half as Clemson took a 49-24 lead into the break. The Tigers shot 50 percent in the opening 20 minutes.
Stetson didn’t fold after halftime. The Hatters chipped away and got the margin down to 13, but Buckner shut that door.
He scored eight straight for Clemson, beginning with a dunk that brought some life back into Littlejohn. He followed that with a three from near the Clemson bench and then another deep shot soon after, giving the Tigers the cushion they needed to finish things off.
Buckner’s 20-point night was the headline, but Clemson had plenty of support around him. Five Tigers finished in double figures. Faulkner scored 16, Fuchs added 12, Liutauras Lelevicius also had 12, and Cole Certa chipped in 13.
As a team, Clemson shot 51 percent from the floor, finished with 17 assists on 25 made baskets, and went 26-for-35 at the free throw line.
The Tigers will stay at home for their next game, facing American on Friday, November 6, at 7:00 P.M. on the ACC Network Extra.
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