Board work helps Clemson beat Pitt
PITTSBURGH – Brad Brownell’s Clemson team was exhausted, mentally and physically, as it arrived in Pittsburgh.
The Tigers were blown out by No. 19 North Carolina last week, lost a close game to No. 5 Louisville Wednesday and even had their travel plans delayed on their way to play Pitt.
Clemson’s fatigue showed early and Brownell adjusted, going to a zone defense.
The change paid off as Clemson held Pitt to 39.6 percent shooting and Jaron Blossomgame scored 18 points to lead the Tigers to a 71-62 win Saturday.
“We just were a half-step slow,” Brownell said. “We went to the zone to see if it would slow some things down and kind of just help us kind of get our legs back under us.”
Rod Hall added 12 for Clemson (9-6, 1-2 ACC).
“We could’ve mailed it in because we had two bad losses,” Hall said. “We started off kind of slow in ACC play and it was a big win for us to get our momentum going in the right direction.”
The Tigers outrebounded Pitt, 39-22, and converted 47.1 percent of their field goal attempts.
Blossomgame said the team was focused on winning the rebounding margin before the game and hoped to use the team’s size to its advantage.
“On the interior, we’re a lot bigger than they are,” he said. “It was important for us to win the rebound battle.”
Clemson played four players 6-foot-8 or taller extensive minutes while Pitt forward Michael Young was the Panthers’ tallest player on the floor for most of the game at 6-foot-9. Despite the size advantage, the 6-foot-1 Hall tied with 6-foot-10 center Sidy Djitte for the team lead in rebounds at seven apiece.
Cameron Wright scored a season-high 18 points for Pitt (11-5, 1-2 ACC) and Chris Jones chipped in 11.
“We are not happy with how we played,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. “They played well, we didn’t.”
Dixon’s particular point of emphasis was rebounding entering Saturday’s game, and the Panthers were outrebounded by 17 – the worst margin in Dixon’s tenure at Pitt.
“When we lose the rebounding numbers we know we’re going to lose the game,” Wright said. “It’s very difficult when that happens.”
The teams played close in the opening minutes before Clemson changed to its zone defense which hampered Pitt’s offense. The Tigers prevented the Panthers from penetrating, reducing their offense to passes around the perimeter and contested jump shots.
Clemson’s defense kept Pitt scoreless for over four minutes and after leading 14-11, the Panthers mustered only three points in the next six minutes while Clemson built a 24-17 lead.
Pitt closed in on the Tigers before the half, cutting the lead to three points behind Wright’s eight points late in the half. But Blossomgame tipped in a miss by Hall with seconds left to give Clemson a 36-31 lead.
Pitt tied the game at 44-all by keeping the Tigers off the scoreboard for about three minutes and scoring seven unanswered points. Then Clemson prevented Pitt from scoring for over five minutes and built its lead back up to 51-44 with a 7-0 run.
Robert Morris 72, Central Connecticut State 60: Lucky Jones scored 18 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists to lead Robert Morris to a 72-60 victory over Central Connecticut State Saturday afternoon.
Monessen native Elijah Minnie had 13 points on a perfect 5 of 5 shooting from the field for Robert Morris (7-9, 3-1 Northeastern Conference). Rodney Prior added 11 points and five boards for the Colonials.
Robert Morris was propelled much of the afternoon by its offensive effort, shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 37.5 percent (6 of 16) from three-point range. The Colonials also had 15 total assists and limited themselves to just eight turnovers.
Robert Morris led 33-27 at the break, and scored the first seven of the second half to open a double digit lead. They kept the Blue Devils at arm’s length the rest of the day.
Faronte Drakeford scored 18 points to lead Central Connecticut St (2-15, 0-4).
Rhode Island 61, Duquesne 60: E.C. Matthews scored 18 points and Jared Terrell scored the game-winning free throw with eight seconds left Saturday in Rhode Island’s 61-60 comeback win over Duquesne.
Hassan Martin scored 15 with 10 rebounds and Jarvis Garrett had 10 for the Rams, (11-3, 3-0 Atlantic 10), who have won six straight, their longest winning streak since the 2009-10 season.
The Rams rallied in the second half, tying it at 49 on a 3-pointer by Matthews, but the Dukes use an 11-4 run to lead 58-53 with 4:51 left. Matthews put the Rams up 59-58 with another 3 with 1:14 to go, then Terrell made the go-ahead free throw. The Dukes had a chance to win, but Derrick Colter’s jumper missed.
Micah Mason scored 18 for Duquesne (6-8, 1-2) and Colter had 15.