Tigers Back on Track

Jake Heidbreder led Clemson with 15 Points in a win vs Wake Forest. (Photo By: Clemson Athletics)

After back-to-back soul-crushing defeats in overtime, Coach Brownell has put his team back on track, moving to 2-0 in ACC play. The Tigers welcomed Wake Forest to Littlejohn Coliseum and were able to take advantage of the shooting struggles from the Demon Deacons, leading to a 73-62 win. However, it was not all sunshine and rainbows for Clemson. They were haunted by yet another slow start offensively, as it took the Tigers 9 minutes to reach more than 10 points. Tough, hard-nosed defense kept Clemson ahead most of the first half, creating 10 turnovers that led to many quick 3’s and easy buckets. Former transfer guard Jake Heidbreder led the way at half for Clemson with 13, hitting three shots beyond the arc. As a team, the Tigers walked into halftime up 9 points despite some half-court offensive struggles. Early third fouls in the second half sidelined both Chase Hunter and Hunter Sallis for 6+ minutes, which surprisingly led to a back-and-forth start for both teams. Wake Forest’s defensive breakdowns led to easy buckets for the Tigers, while Clemson put the Deacons on the foul line more than they would have liked.

Ian Schieffelin put in 13 points in Clemson's win over Wake Forest. (Photo By: Charles Mays)

The three-point line slowly started to become the difference in the contest, allowing the Tigers to cushion their lead at home. Big-time shots from forward Ian Schieffelin increased their lead to 15 ten minutes into the second half, and Wake Forest could not keep up because of sloppy offensive play. Clemson forced 19 turnovers throughout the game, diminishing the 26-point performance from Wake Forest guard Hunter Sallis. Heidbreder continued his great performance from the first half as he continues to see his role increase off the bench, scoring 15. Chase Hunter led the way for Clemson with 16 points along with four more Tigers in double digits. Transfer center Viktor Lakhin had a huge bounce-back game, almost eclipsing a double-double with 13 points and 9 rebounds. The Tigers continue their ACC play at home in the new year on January 1st against the Stanford Cardinal, hoping to improve to 3-0 within conference play.