Hunter & Hall's Heroics Lead Clemson to a Narrow Victory Over UAB

The highly anticipated matchup between Clemson and UAB took place on November 10, 2023, at the Harrahs Cherokee Center in Asheville. With a packed house and an electric atmosphere, both teams were ready to battle it out on the court.

Shoot Around/Pregame

Before the game began, there were high expectations for a heavy Clemson home crowd since the game is in Asheville, NC, about 2 hours from Clemson. However, the turnout was lower than expected, and there was a surprising number of UAB fans in attendance. The crowd was divided, with approximately 40% supporting Clemson, 40% from the previous game, and 20% cheering for UAB.

First Half

The first half of the game was intense and closely contested. Both teams fought hard for every possession and traded blows on the scoreboard. The Tigers got to the line more in the first half than they did their entire first game. But, while they were getting to the line they couldn't capitalize and missed a lot of shots.

While going through the notes for the first half the majority of what all I see is PJ Hall looked amazing, Chase Hunter stepped up and played great. Ian and Joe Girard struggled in this one. Ian struggled mainly on the offensive side and Joe struggled on both sides of the ball! While the game was leaning Clemson's way to begin and they lead most of the first half; UAB took a lead with a couple minutes left in the first half and went into the locker room leading 39-42 over the Tigers.

Second Half

You can tell there were some huge adjustments made at half time. Ian went from playing a lot of the first half to not coming back into the game until about half way through when PJ Hall received his 3rd foul.

The second half did not start off well for the Tigers. They turned the ball over the first two possessions, they lacked energy, missed shots, and looked lazy on defense. At one point UAB had took a 9 point lead.

They held that lead until midpoint of the half when Clemson went on a 14-0 lead and went from down 9 to up 5. Apart of the factor that helped Clemson was that two of the most impactful players for UAB, both big men down low, fouled out. Both players had been tearing up the inside which was a huge reason that the blazers had a +9 rebounding difference on the night. But with more than 9 minutes to go they lost both impactful players leaving the middle of the paint wide open for PJ and the Tigers to do work!

While Clemson used the 9-0 run to gain the lead, they quickly lost it after a 6-0 run by UAB making it a 1 point game going into the final minutes. PJ Hall CAME ALIVE late though. There was one stretch of the game where PJ drew an offensive charge, scored a bucket, blocked a shot, went down and scored another one. Tonight was huge for Hall and his game as he recorded his 17th 20+ point game of his career.

After Clemson went up by 2 with less than 30 seconds remaining. UAB had a big time shot hit to go up by 1 with 9 seconds left.

Clemson's Chase Hunter brought the ball down, was looking to get it inside to PJ but got tripped up on the way to the paint. He lost the ball BUT there was a foul called on UAB. Chase Hunter went to the line, down by 1, with 3 seconds left on the clock. He nailed both of them. After a late throw up by Gaines from UAB Clemson walked away with a very narrow victory of 77 to 76.

Press Conference

During the post-game press conference, Clemson's coaches and players shared their thoughts on the game. Coach emphasized the team's aggressive play, posting, and penetration as key factors in their success. PJ Hall was praised for his outstanding performance, while the team acknowledged the need to improve on defense. Despite the challenges faced, the team remained calm and focused throughout the game.

UAB's coach acknowledged Clemson's dominance, particularly PJ Hall's impact on the game. He highlighted the rebounding disadvantage and the impact of his team's big men fouling out early. Despite the loss, he expressed satisfaction with his players' efforts.

Final Thoughts

The Clemson vs UAB game was a thrilling matchup that showcased the determination and skills of both teams. Clemson's resilience and ability to make crucial plays in critical moments secured their narrow victory. The team will undoubtedly build upon this win and continue to strive for success throughout the season. They go up against Davidson on Sunday at 3 pm for the Asheville Championship game.