All Clemson to Start New Year vs Stanford

Jaeden Zackery flexes after a layup that drew a foul. (Photo: Charles Mays)

The Tigers were handed an opportunity to start off the year 2025 with a bang as they hosted the Stanford Cardinal, and they delivered with an 85-71 win.

This performance pushes Clemson to 11-3 (3-0) as the Tigers are eyeing another NCAA Tournament berth. An early Cardinal lead quickly vanished to start the game once Chase Hunter and Jaeden Zackery acclimated themselves to the affair. Tough lay-ups by both players, along with some dimes from Zackery to Lakhin, started the scoring party for the Tigers, putting them back in the game. However, Stanford’s early success from behind the arc put them ahead 23-17 nine minutes into the game. Clemson struggled defensively during a majority of the first half because of the Cardinal’s success from three and their 7'1" center, Maxime Raynaud, who plays comparably to NBA star Victor Wembanyama. The offense, however, kept the Tigers ahead down the stretch, going into halftime up 43-41 in an offensive shootout. Top performances from the first half for the Cardinal were their big three of Raynaud, Oziyah Sellers, and Jaylen Blakes as they combined for 28 points. Raynaud dominated the glass while in the game, almost accumulating a double-double going into the locker room with 8 points and 9 rebounds. For the Tigers, the top performers were Viktor Lakhin, Chase Hunter, and Jaeden Zackery. These guys combined for 30 points while also filling up the stat sheet outside of scoring. Lakhin defended the paint as he has this season, recording 2 blocks in the first half. Even with the lead, Clemson star Ian Schieffelin was very quiet during the first 20 minutes, not scoring any points and only getting 2 rebounds. Schieffelin dealt with foul trouble during those 20 minutes, but the Tigers scrambled together to maintain a lead without the help of one of their best players. Clemson started the second half continuing their terrific offensive performance, and some defensive stops put them up 62-52 right under the 12-minute mark. Reserve forward Myles Foster got his opportunity in the second half due to some foul trouble for Ian Schieffelin, and the long-time college basketball player put in great minutes for Clemson, scoring 5 tough points. Chauncey Wiggins burst back onto the scene after some struggling outings, scoring 17 points while going 4-5 from behind the arc. Coach Brownell expressed his confidence in the growth of Wiggins as an all-around player, getting 5 rebounds against the Cardinal in his postgame presser. Clemson made it a priority to get to the rim and then the free throw line in the second half as they shot 21-24 during the game. Hunter and Wiggins led the way for the home team today with 22 and 17 points, respectively. Stanford guard Oziyah Sellers’ 20-point performance was diminished due to Clemson’s offensive outbreak. While the Tigers’ offense looked extremely impressive today, shooting 48% against any defense the Cardinal threw at them, their defensive performances have continued to look great this season thanks to the speed they have on the roster. Dillon Hunter and Zackery had 6 and 4 steals, respectively, during this contest, helping put the Tigers on top. Clemson stays home for their next contest on Saturday, January 4th, against another first-year ACC school, the California Golden Bears.

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Via ACC Digital Network