Joseph Girard III scored 25 points and PJ Hall added 22 with 11 rebounds as visiting Clemson earned a 79-70 victory over Pitt in an Atlantic Coast Conference opener for each team.
Chauncey Wiggins scored 12 points for Clemson, who earned the victory despite a 21-point second-half scoring push from Pitt’s Blake Hinson as the Tigers improved to 7-0.
Hinson finished with 27 points and six rebounds for the Panthers (5-3), while Ishmael Leggett scored 17 points and Carlton Carrington added 13.
Hinson, who entered the day ranked fifth in the ACC in scoring, helped keep his side within striking distance by going 7 of 10 from the field in the second half and 5 of 6 from 3-point range. He extended his streak to 21 consecutive outings with at least one made 3-pointer.
Leggett’s three-pointer 25 seconds into the second half preceded a Hinson jumper a minute later. The 5-0 run cut the Clemson lead to 37-31 before the Tigers regained offensive momentum.
Hinson’s final 3-pointer of the second half brough Pitt with it 70-66 with 4:25 remaining. Leggett cut it to one possession at 70-68 on the Panthers’ next possession.
Ian Schieffelin and Hall combined for the next seven points taking Clemson’s advantage to take the lead to 77-68 with 1:31 remaining.
The Panthers only led for a combined 1:10 in the first half, while going 12 of 32 (37.5 percent) from the field and 2 of 10 from 3-point range.
The teams exchanged the lead six times in the first half, the last instance being Hall’s layup that gave Clemson an 18-16 lead with 9:20 to go before the midway point.
The Tigers scored 12 of the next 16 points over the following 3:13 to build a 37-26 lead at halftime.
–Field Level Media
