Dawes’ hot shot leads Tigers over Pitt in regular season finale

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by David hood

– Senior Writer
– 03/06/2021 14: 10: 04.0

Dawes reacts to a 3-point start in the win over Pitt. (Photo courtesy of ACC)

CLEMSON – The sophomore sent the seniors off on a high note.

Al-Amir Dawes scored 21 points and was 5 of 8 on a 3-point range on the senior day as Clemson heads to the playoffs with a 77-62 win over Pitt in the final regular season game at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Clemson has won eight straight series wins with the Panthers after losing the top three. The Tigers have won six in a row at home. Five different Tigers hit a 3 pointer as Clemson was 12 of 25 from beyond the arc. Hunter Tyson scored 16 points and Aamir Simms added 12 as the only other double digit Tigers.

Clemon had 45 points off the bench. Clemson will either be a No.5 seed or a No.6 seed in next week’s ACC tournament, depending on what Louisville does against Virginia at 4 p.m. Saturday (the Tigers will be a fifth seed. series with a loss at Louisville).

Clemson improves to 16-6 overall and 10-6 in the ACC while Pitt drops to 10-11 overall and 6-10 in the league.

The Tigers came out flamboyant in the first half, with Simms hitting a quick 3 points just 30 seconds into the game. Clemson’s 3-point shot – two per Clyde Trapp and one by Nick honor – helped the Tigers take a 16-8 lead, but Pitt quickly reduced the lead to just five at 16-11.

The Tigers then got hot and got three points within 3 points of Dawes and went on a 13-2 run that saw Clemson extend the lead to the biggest of the first half to 29-13 with 8: 23 to be played before the intermission. Then it was the Panthers who got hot, with a 14-3 set that reduced the lead to 32-27 with just over four minutes to go in the half. The Tigers tried to pull away, but Pitt’s defensive intensity and hot shots got Tigers 38-36 at the half.

Simms started the scoring again in the second half with a short jumper, and Dawes followed with another 3 that went 43-36, but the Panthers came back roaring again and shot within two at 43- 41 to 16:43 point.

Dawes scored on a free throw and jumper and Hunter Tyson hit a 3-runner as the Tigers again tried to pull away, ultimately reducing the lead to 10 at 54-44. Pitt had two free throws that made it 54-46, but Tyson hit another 3, Dawes gave a free throw, then Trapp turned a steal into a feed to Dawes on the quick break, and the layup pushed back. advance to 16 at 62-46.

Justin Champagnie then tried to get hot, but the Tigers had an answer at every turn, and when PJ Room caught a stray ball and placed it under the basket. Clemson had a 68-50 lead with 7:25 to go. Pitt was never able to mount a serious threat after that, and Dawes’ 3-pointer in the dying seconds put an exclamation mark on the win.

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