Clemson gets taken out by McNeese State as March Madness ends for the Tigers
Clemson gets taken out by McNeese State as March Madness ends for the Tigers
Clemson's NCAA Tournament run ended abruptly Thursday as the No. 5 seed Tigers fell 69-67 to No. 12 McNeese State in the first round of the Midwest Region. A disastrous first half left Clemson trailing by as many as 24 points, and despite a furious second-half rally, the comeback fell short.
Chase Hunter and Ian Schieffelin struggled early, combining for just three points and six turnovers in the first 32 minutes. Hunter eventually found his rhythm, scoring all 21 of his points in the second half, but Schieffelin finished with just one point. Clemson shot an abysmal 20.8% from the field in the first half, scoring just 13 points—the fewest in program history for an NCAA Tournament game.
McNeese (28-6) took control with a dominant 19-2 first-half run and never relinquished the lead. The Cowboys were led by Brandon Murray, who scored 21 points. Clemson made runs of 9-0 and 7-0 in the final stretch but couldn't complete the comeback.
The Tigers were also without Dillon Hunter, who was sidelined with a broken hand. In his absence, Chauncey Wiggins, Jake Heidbreder, and Del Jones combined for just 15 points on 4-for-18 shooting.
The loss marks a disappointing end to Clemson's season after setting a program record with 27 wins. It was the team's second straight NCAA Tournament appearance under Brad Brownell, but a brutal first half ultimately doomed the Tigers' chances of making another deep run.
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