Exciting Clemson vs. Alabama Game Recap: Tigers Win 85-77 (Nov 28, 2023)

In an exciting match on Tuesday night, PJ Hall took charge to secure a victory for Clemson by scoring 21 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and blocking 4 attempts against No. 23 Alabama. The Tigers came out on top, winning 85-77, in this game that was part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. Joseph Girard III delivered an outstanding performance as well, contributing 16 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He was supported by Chase Hunter, who scored 15 points, and Ian Schieffelin, who recorded 9 points and 14 rebounds.

Clemson coach Brad Brownell explained the unique style that differentiates them from others in college basketball, remarking, “We are a little different than a lot of teams in college basketball in that we post the ball. We play two big guys, we move our big guys in and out, high-low. That’s part of our style. When you do pressure like Alabama was pressuring us sometimes, we have more opportunities to throw it in sometimes.”

RJ Godfrey had a significant impact off the bench, contributing 11 points, while the Tigers established a 53% shooting record, including 11 out of 21 from 3-point range. Conversely, Clemson’s strong defense limited Alabama to 34% shooting for the game, marking their worst offensive performance of the season.

Alabama coach Nate Oats acknowledged the challenge posed by Clemson’s guards, as it caused difficulties for his team in creating scoring opportunities. “We’re definitely not tough enough to be competing for an SEC championship right now, that’s for sure,” Oats said.

Mark Sears led the scoring for Alabama with 23 points, but it wasn’t enough to hold off a resilient Clemson. Aaron Estrada and Grant Nelson also made significant contributions with 16 and 14 points, respectively.

Clemson’s first true road game resulted in a noteworthy victory against a Top 25 team. Moving forward, they face challenges in the form of tough ACC games against Pitt and Miami, with a nonconference road game against Memphis in between.

On the other hand, Alabama faced a setback, dropping to a 1-2 record against teams from power conferences after a strong start to the season. The team expressed concerns about its defensive performance and plans on addressing the issue promptly.

Looking ahead, Clemson will take on Pitt in its first ACC game, while Alabama will have six days to regroup before hosting Arkansas State.

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