Clemson basketball stuns Arizona in Sweet 16 bracket, makes first Elite Eight in 44 years
LOS ANGELES — With a partisan Arizona crowd in attendance, Clemson basketball overcame the No. 2 seed Wildcats 77-72 Thursday at Crypto.com Arena to advance to the Elite Eight for the second time in program history.
The sixth-seeded Tigers (24-11) carried over their momentum from their wins in Memphis against New Mexico and Baylor last week to defeat the Wildcats (27-9) behind crucial defensive stops and scoring in the second half.
Clemson will face the winner between No. 1 North Carolina and No. 4 Alabama on Saturday. The last time Clemson made the Elite Eight was 44 years ago.
Despite the hostile environment, the Tigers built a 29-16 lead in the first half thanks to their stifling defense and efficient offense. Yet, Arizona battled back to earn its first lead of the game with 14:32 remaining in the game.
Clemson responded to the Wildcats' run to regain the lead back behind Jack Clark's 3-pointer. The Tigers kept Arizona at bay in the final minutes to make it to the doorstep of the Final Four.
Chase Hunter recorded 18 points and five assists for Clemson and PJ Hall added 17 points.
Here are two takeaways from Clemson's NCAA West regional semifinal win.
Clemson basketball brought its stout March Madness defense to LA
The Tigers continued their stifling defensive effort Thursday, flustering Arizona to shoot contested jumpers and make nine turnovers. It held the Wildcats, a team that was averaging eight-made 3-pointers, to five made 3-pointers.
Clemson's mix of zone and man defense allowed for 13 points off of turnovers, and it logged four steals and two blocks.
Despite its 3-point shot not falling, Arizona leaned into its inside scoring. It scored 40 points in the paint, using its pick-and-roll offense and running in transition to disrupt Clemson.
Clemson could not contain Arizona on the glass
It was going to be a tough challenge for the Tigers on the boards since Arizona is second in the nation in rebounds per game. That statistic proved true as the Wildcats outrebounded Clemson 44-36.
Some of Arizona’s rebounds came from long rebounds, while others came from its leading rebounder Oumar Ballo. The Wildcats’ rebounding earned them 15 second-chance points.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson vs Arizona in Sweet 16: Tigers in first Elite Eight in 44 years
