Clemson continues climb up NET rankings after a decisive win over SMU

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Clemson’s 79-69 road win over SMU on Saturday not only added another Quad 1 victory to its resume but also helped the Tigers climb to No. 22 in the NET rankings. Now sitting at 22-5 overall and 14-2 in ACC play, Clemson remains in strong contention for a high seed in the NCAA Tournament. The win also marked the Tigers’ sixth straight road victory in ACC play, setting a new program record.

The Tigers got off to a hot start from beyond the arc, with their first 21 points coming from three-pointers. Jaeden Zackery played a key role, hitting three threes in the opening seven minutes to help Clemson build an early lead. Zackery, a senior transfer from Boston College, finished with a game-high 19 points, adding six rebounds, seven assists, and five steals in one of his best performances of the season.

Chase Hunter, held to five points in the first half, sparked Clemson in the second by scoring the team’s first five points, extending the lead to nine. Hunter finished with 17 points, including a pair of second-half threes that helped push the lead to 18. Center Viktor Lakhin battled early foul trouble but responded with 16 points and six rebounds, helping Clemson take control inside in the second half.

The Tigers shot 14-of-29 from three and dominated points off turnovers, 18-8. Despite early struggles in the paint, they found their inside game late, scoring 18 points in the paint in the second half.

With a 4-2 record in Quad 1 games, Clemson’s resume continues to strengthen as the regular season nears its end. The Tigers remain in the hunt for a top NCAA Tournament seed with a few key games left to play.

This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson improves NET ranking after strong win over SMU

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/clemson-continues-climb-net-rankings-000225421.html

Author : Clemson Wire

Publish date : 2025-02-25 00:02:00

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