Can the Clemson Tigers Bounce Back After Pittsburgh Panthers' Dominance at Littlejohn Coliseum?
The Clemson Tigers faced a challenging contest against the Pittsburgh Panthers, culminating in a 72-57 defeat. The Tigers now stand with an even record of 0-0, while the Panthers have mirrored their opponents' record. The game unfolded at Littlejohn Coliseum, where fans witnessed the home team struggle to keep pace with their guests.
The first quarter showed promise for the Tigers as they outscored the Panthers 20-14. However, momentum shifted in favor of Pittsburgh in subsequent quarters. The second quarter saw a dip in performance from Clemson as they were outscored by a significant margin, managing only 8 points to Pittsburgh's 21. This trend continued after halftime; despite an effort to rally, the Tigers scored just 11 points against their opponent's 17 in the third quarter.
Offensively, both teams had similar statistics with each attempting roughly over fifty field goals and converting half of their two-point attempts. However, it was from beyond the arc that differences emerged; while Clemson made only five three-pointers from twenty-two attempts (23 percent), Pittsburgh capitalized on theirs by making eight out of nineteen (42 percent). Free throw accuracy also favored Pittsburgh who made an impressive fourteen free throws from sixteen attempts (88 percent), contrasting sharply with Clemson’s eight successful shots from thirteen attempts (62 percent).
Defensively, both teams grabbed thirty-one rebounds and blocked two shots each. Yet again though, it was steals where Pittsburgh had an edge with twelve compared to ten by Clemson. Turnovers were more frequent for Clemson who gave up possession twenty-one times whereas Pittsburgh did so seventeen times.
Despite these challenges, there were bright spots for the home team including scoring twenty-six points in paint and securing thirteen offensive rebounds which led to fourteen second-chance points – slightly better than eleven second-chance points by Pittsburg.
Looking ahead for fans of the Tigers is another opportunity as they prepare to face Notre Dame Fighting Irish away at Purcell Pavilion on February 22nd at 7:00 PM Eastern Time. This game will be broadcasted on ACC Network Extra via internet streaming platforms providing supporters another chance to follow their team’s progress this season.