Clemson entered the night looking for a lift after its loss at Georgetown, and Brad Brownell got exactly the response he hoped to see. The Tigers battled through two double digit holes and fought their way to a 70 to 67 win over West Virginia in the Charleston Classic semifinals on Friday.
Clemson trailed by eight with a little more than six minutes remaining, but the momentum shifted once Dillon Hunter and Jestin Porter scored on back to back possessions. West Virginia answered with a three to stretch the lead again, and that is when Carter Welling completely changed the game. The Utah Valley transfer erupted late, scoring eight straight points to put Clemson ahead with just over a minute left. He went on to finish with 13 points, all after halftime, and sealed the win by calmly sinking two free throws with less than a second remaining.
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“That was a war,” Brownell said, adding that he was proud of how his players refused to let the game slip away. “We just stayed with it and kept grinding and guarding.”
Clemson’s defensive effort was a major factor. West Virginia shot only 40 percent from the floor and struggled at the free throw line, finishing 12 of 19. Brownell noted that the Mountaineers made everything difficult offensively, saying their defense “is really hard to play against,” but he credited his group for finding a way.
RJ Godfrey delivered another strong outing with 14 points on perfect shooting, continuing his growth as a reliable presence off the bench. Hunter added 13, his best performance of the season, and Butta Johnson scored 11 in one of his most confident showings.
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With the win, Clemson moves into Sunday’s championship game, where the Tigers will face the winner of Xavier and Georgia, and Brownell hopes this comeback becomes the type of moment that helps his young roster grow.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson basketball wins a thriller over the West Virginia Mountaineers
